Love Speaks Louder Than Words
by Amara Lightskipper
Summary: Bran's life seemed to be in order, until he met someone who changed it: Meera. But things turn upside down when they found out that their families were on two opposing sides of a conflict that happened years ago that still remains unresolved. How far will they go for love? Will their love open their families' eyes to seek forgiveness and move on?
1. An Interview Turned Date

**BRAN**

Bran is in his last year in college so he decided to do something outside the box. Something fun and something his parents might not approve of.

His parents, Eddard and Catelyn Stark seemed to have planned everything step by step. _You need to do this, you need to do that…blah, blah, blah._ His older siblings did that, well, except Arya, but he didn't have the balls to stand up to them the way she did.

His eldest brother, Robb was to take over their family company, and their Dad had him take business administration before proceeding to law which was definitely in Robb's domain, as he liked being in charge.

Their cousin/adopted brother Jon, who was the same age as Robb, joined the military like their Dad's brother, their Uncle Benjen.

His sister Sansa took up Finance Accounting which she seemed to be happy about. Not many would have thought a cheerleading captain in her high school years would take up a program with so much math involved.

His other sister Arya was asked to take up the same program as Sansa's, because as their Mom had insisted that they were girls and they should know how to handle money, especially when they get married and whatnot. Arya ended up taking the same program, much to her dismay. But she did something, risky. She went took up Finance Accounting on the first term of school but shifted to the Architecture program on the next term, and their parents never found out until she graduated last year.

Their youngest brother Rickon was still in his senior year in high school, enrolled in a super old private school in Winterfell, _Torrhen Stark Academy_. He considered it old because it's the same school his Dad and his siblings went to when they were in their basic ed years.

They also have a foster brother, Theon Greyjoy. Bran's parents offered to foster over him, so he lived with them, eat the same food, given his own bedroom, and sent to the same school as they were. Theon came to live with them after his Mom died as his own father was mentally unstable and no relative of him would care to take him in. He was also the same age as Robb and Jon, so they were often seen together. And in college, he took up a program that's business related. And even though, he's moved out of their house, he often visited when everyone else comes home.

Bran himself was asked to take up Business Marketing so that he can help his brother in their family business in the future. He never liked it, of course, and did the same thing his sister Arya did and shifted a degree program to Structural Engineering. But unlike Arya, his parents found out about a week after the second term began. He got the initial scold from his Dad saying he's ruined their plans for them and the family business and all. But thankfully, his Mom took his side and insisted that he should choose a program that he likes. And of course, like the good brother that he was, he never snitched on Arya as she made him a deal about starting a construction business as partners.

Currently, Bran was enrolled in the _University of White Harbor_, the most prestigious university in the region of the North. Located, of course, in the coastal city of White Harbor, the largest city in the North. Now with all his older siblings graduated and living their own lives in Winterfell, he was the only one left among his family in the flat unit, as their parents had bought a unit outside campus to house them while they attend college. And since he was alone, his Dad allowed a son of another business partner from Torrhen's Square to bunk in with him.

His roommate, Beren Tallhart, was a polar opposite of him. Unlike him, Beren was often at parties on the weekends, seeing girls and always on his phone talking to people. Bran was the nerd and introvert. He rarely went out on weekends, and if he does, it's usually on Slam Poetry stuff on he got some term project to finish. He mostly stayed in the flat, studying or playing videogames.

Beren offered Bran to come with him often, but he always declined. "Bran, how are you gonna get a girlfriend if you don't go out there and socialize?" He had said once.

Bran would only laugh. "I'm here to get a degree, not a girlfriend." He replied. "Stuff like that can wait until I graduate."

Beren shrugged. "Okay, dude." He said. "But you're missing out big time."

Yearly, the North region holds a Science Expo, and Bran decided to join representing the _University of White Harbor._ He didn't really want anything out of it, he just wanted to be exposed and do something far from his field, for fun. His project was in the Hydrodynamics and Chemistry field entitled, _Water as Fuel_. It's basically using water to fuel cars instead of gas. Turns out, all his endless days in the university library doing research paid off. And he won.

Last week, the University president, Marlon Manderly, told him that he will be featured on _The Northern Herald_ and a journalist was coming over to interview him on Friday.

At first, Bran was like, _hmm okay_. He expected the journalist as someone who's wearing all black with a notepad and a hat with a piece of paper sticking out of it, and the word, _Press_ written on it. He did not, however, expect to see a young woman in a green sundress and white cardigan.

Bran was completely awestruck at the sight of her.

"Hi," She greeted with a warm smile. "I'm Meera Reed, the journalist who's going to do your interview." She held out her hand to shake. "You must be Brandon Stark."

"Um, yeah," He said, shaking her hand and forcing out a smile. "I—yes, I am." He cleared his throat. "But, you know, just—um…" He faltered.

Meera raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"It's Bran, for short." He finished.

She chuckled. "Noted."

The interview was arranged to take place in-campus for convenience. But he was surprised to know that she had found her way around without stopping for directions.

They both sat by the wooden set of tables, across each other, in the campus' main quad, where it's shaded during the afternoon.

As they sat, Bran got a good look on her. Meera had curly brown hair that fell down to her shoulders and she had the greenest pairs of eyes he had ever seen. _She's beautiful_, he thought. And he assumed that she's probably older than she looks.

He was staring intently at her that he didn't notice her asking him a question until she snapped her fingers in his face.

"Hello?" She called.

Bran snapped back to reality. "Um, I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you had classes today."

"Oh, I did," He answered. "My class schedule ends at 3pm on Fridays."

"Cool." She agreed. "More time to avoid weekend traffic."

"Yeah, exactly." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, you seem to know your way around here." He noticed.

"I went to school here." She replied, matter of factly. "Graduated four years ago. My brother's also here, he's in the same year as you."

Meera pulled out a binder and an audio-recorder from her sling bag and placed them on the table before asking him personal questions about his family and where he grew up.

Bran answered that he grew up in Winterfell in the Stark Manor, so yes, it was implemented that his family was rich because a manor is also classified as a palace back when aristocracy the form of government. He was raised with his four siblings, a cousin, and a foster brother and that his parents were very business-minded people.

"So what motivated you to win this year's Science Expo," She asked. "Despite this project not being in your field of study?" She asked.

"I never really thought much about winning it." Bran answered. "For me, it was mostly just putting myself out there. I mean, it's my last year in college, I just thought about doing something people might remember me for. Because growing up, I've been socially-awkward at crowds, I don't go to parties and drink. I just stay in my place and study or play videogames, or I'd go back to Winterfell in the weekends with my folks."

Meera nodded as she jotted down notes on her binder. "How did you come up with the idea of this project, _Water as Fuel_?"

"Well, it's a weird story." Bran chuckled. "It was based on my many 'what-ifs'." He quoted his hands in the air. "I was stopping for gas in Moat Cailin, on my way back home. And I got thirsty and bought bottled water from a convenience store nearby. And it came to me, _what if water was used as fuel_?"

"That's actually an interesting story." She commented. "But you do realize that if this is commercialized, gas and oil companies would shut down? Because, I mean, water is everywhere and it's free. Especially here in White Harbor, you could just scoop out water from the White Knife River or from the shores. What are your thoughts on that?"

He was aware of that, but he made it clear that he was not selling to commercialize as it would shut down Dornish oil companies and he didn't want to put people out of business.

Meera had asked a few more questions and he answered them carefully and thoroughly. Afterwards, she closed her binder, put down her pen and turned off her audio-recorder.

"Well, it was a rather interesting interview," Meera said. "If I must say."

"This is the first time I'll be featured in the paper." He pointed out. "_The Northern Herald_, no less. How cool is that?"

Suddenly, a voice called behind him. "Meera?"

Bran turned and he saw a young man with dirty blond hair and green eyes same as Meera's but he had eyeglasses on. And he was carrying a few books and a potted plant, and his backpack was slung on one shoulder.

"Hey," Meera greeted.

"What are you doing here?" The young man asked. "And did you even get on campus?"

"I'm an alumna to this institution," Meera replied. "Of course, I can get inside. And I'm doing my job." She gestured across the table to him.

The blond guy turned to him. "Oh."

Meera motioned her head to the blond guy. "This is my brother, Jojen."

Jojen held his hand for a shake, then realized he had a smudge of soil from the clay pot he was holding, so he wiped his hand on his trousers before actually shaking Bran's hand.

"Hey, man." Bran acknowledged. "I'm—"

"Brandon Stark," Jojen interjected. "I know. By the way, your project was fucking awesome."

Bran smiled. "Thanks." He then pointed at the potted plant. "What's with the plant?" he asked.

"I'm a Botany major," Jojen explained. "This is for Plant Science."

"Yeah," Meera agreed. "And my flat is slowly turning into a garden."

Jojen cleared his throat. "Anyways, I need to go." He said. "See you in the flat."

"Jojen, it's Friday." Meera told her brother. "Don't you have somewhere else to go?"

Jojen raised the potted plant higher. "Plant Science in the garden. Leave me alone." He said before leaving.

Meera snorted and turned back to him. "Honestly, I couldn't get him to go out and socialize."

"You sound exactly like my older brothers." Bran said before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me?" Meera asked as if she'd misheard him.

Bran shrugged. "They always tell me to go out and socialize." He said. "But I don't like going to parties or drink alcohol."

"I think you and my brother would get along." She pointed out

"I don't do Plant Science." He brought up. "I'm more into math and puzzles, building a tower out of toothpicks and glue gun kind of thing than frat parties."

Meera laughed. "There are other ways to socialize rather than attend parties, you know."

"I know that," Bran said. "The only social gathering I've gone aside from school stuff is that Slam Poetry Jam in _Starkgrand_."

_Starkgrand Coffee_ is a coffee company and coffeehouse chain own by their family. It was a small family business that slowly grew and became a chain. It was founded by Bran's great-great-great grandfather, Beron Stark, with the tagline, _we, Northerners know how to stay warm in the winter_.

"The _Starkgrand_ hosted Slam Poetry Jams?" She repeated. "I didn't know that."

He nodded. "Twice a month on a Saturday, they do."

"If I had known that, I would've been there." Meera said. "I love Slam Poetry Jams."

"They only started hosting about two years ago."

"Of course, they only started once I got out of school." She mumbled, then sighed. "Anyways, it was a great interview and—" She checked her wristwatch for the time. "Oh, wow. That ended earlier than expected. It's only 4pm." She huffed. "And Tyrek's not picking me up in an hour."

"Who's that?" He asked curiously. "Your boyfriend?"

"No!" Meera countered. "Seven hells, no. He's my boss."

"Your boss gives you free rides?" Bran raised an eyebrow. "That's…unusual, I guess."

"I know it's weird." She said. "But he always insisted."

"Okay, so it's either he's really generous or he actually likes you." He assumed.

"I've had colleagues of mine who tell me that." Meera admitted. "But, honestly, I don't wanna know."

There was a brief silence, but Bran decided to break it.

"Um, so anyway," He spoke up. "I'm heading to the _Starkgrand_ to get an espresso. It's not that far, it's only—"

"Three blocks away." They both said at the same time.

She nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"Well, you still got an hour." He pointed out. "You can come with me if you want." He offered.

Meera smiled. "I'd love to." She answered. "I got nothing better else to do to pass time anyway."

**MEERA**

Meera had never met someone so mature and very devoted to his studies and the amount of effort he puts into his work just so he could stand by his own feet.

All her life, Meera had that mindset. She didn't think much about their family business, which was a berries plantation, but she wanted a life away from it. A path she had forged on her own, not actually planned for her. Her parents, Howland and Jyana Reed, seemed to have that idea, because she was the eldest, and the one who can easily interact with people than her younger brother Jojen.

But when she graduated high school, it was only then, did she have the courage to face her parents about what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to affect and touch people with her words, so she took up journalism in the _University of White Harbor_.

Meera graduated with honors and got a job at _The Northern Herald _in White Harbor. She was a reporter for two years, before being transferred to feature writing.

She became very close friends with two of her colleagues, Gwyn Whitehill hailing from Highpoint, and Lyra Mormont from Bear Island. All three of them were an unusual trio, mostly because they have different personalities and physical appearance.

Meera was short in height and that's because their family was descended from the Crannogmen or the swamp people who have adapted to the marshy terrain of the Neck, the southernmost part of the North region. She had inherited her mother's curly brown hair, the same way her brother had their father's dirty blond hair, and they both had their father's green eyes.

Gwyn is a year older than Meera. She has strawberry blond hair always tied in a ponytail and is the happy-go-lucky and the blabber-mouth one among them. While Lyra, is a year younger than her and is taller than both Meera and Gwyn and is the straight-forward one in their group. She had the typical Northern girl image with her long dark hair, blue-grey eyes, and a lanky frame.

And both of them are convinced that their editor, Tyrek Lannister had a bit of a thing for her.

"It's not a bit, Meera." Gwyn argued as she leaned on the divider that divided hers and Gwyn's workplace. "It's more of a '_like_ like' kind of thing." She quoted her fingers in the air. "And I think it's so sweet."

Lyra, who was in Meera's workplace, made a face at her. "Hmm, I thought gingers like you have no soul."

"What the fuck has that had to do with me, Lyra?" Gwyn demanded. "Ginger sounds offensive, I prefer the term _kissed by fire_. Now that's poetic."

"Okay," Meera interrupted. "Would you both just get back to work?" She pleaded. "I need some peace and quiet before I go back to my alma mater."

Suddenly, Tyrek came by dressed in his usual long-sleeved polo and striped necktie. He stopped at his tracks and turned to them. "Oh, hey," He greeted. "Just the people I was looking for."

"Good afternoon, sir." Gwyn greeted.

Tyrek nodded, then turned to Lyra. "Lyra, your travel's been approved. You need to hit the road if you're gonna book the last trip for the day."

"Of course, sir." Lyra said as she stood.

"Where are you going?" Meera asked.

"Skagos." Lyra answered.

She blinked as if she'd misheard. "You're going to Cannibal Island?"

"_Former_ cannibal island." Lyra corrected. "They don't eat people anymore, their ancestors did that. And yes, I got someone there who can get me next to the mayor of Deepdown," She explained. "Whose authorities had caught illegal immigrants from the _United Free Cities_. Anyways, catch you guys on Monday." She said before leaving.

Tyrek turned to Gwyn. "Gwyn, there's a fire in the Dreadfort dump, methane leak."

"Methane?" Gwyn repeated.

"Yeah, I need two paragraphs of that blotter."

"You got it, sir." Gwyn said before returning to her seat.

Tyrek checked his wristwatch. "Alright, it's almost three." He said. "Meera, come on, let's go."

"Um, where are we going, sir?" Meera asked.

Tyrek shrugged. "Don't you have an interview with that Science Expo winner in the UWH?"

"Yes, but I can manage." She insisted.

"I'm heading to the Merman's Court." Tyrek explained. "UWH is on the way so you can hitch a ride with me. I'll meet you in the carport in five minutes." He said before leaving for the elevator.

The Merman's Court is what the locals call the White Harbor City Hall. It was called such because its façade and interiors are ornamented with sea creatures.

"Godsdammit!" Meera cursed as soon as Tyrek was out of earshot. She didn't really have a choice.

Gwyn popped up from the divider again. "Girl, I told you."

"Gwyn, please," Meera said as she gathered her stuff. "Just work on that two paragraph methane leak."

"Just go already, Reed." Gwyn smirked. "He's waiting for you."

Meera rode the elevator to the lobby, got out the carport and sure enough Tyrek was waiting for her. He made her sit in the shotgun, to which she felt very uncomfortable but never said anything about it.

"You comfortable?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." She lied.

"Meera, how many times do I have to tell you?" Tyrek reminded. "Call me _Tyrek_, not _sir_."

She never answered and there was a moment of silence.

"So, anyways," Tyrek broke the silence. "What are you doing tonight?" He asked.

Truthfully, Tyrek had asked her that question far too many times that she had almost run out of excuses. And he usually asks her on her work cubicle, so technically, Gwyn and Lyra can make up excuses and alibis for her.

"My brother and I are going back home in Greywater Watch." She lied. "I promised my Mom and Dad that I'll teach them how to brew fresh tea out of dried leaves."

Tyrek Lannister, despite growing up in Lannisport in the Westerlands, a younger cousin of the country's First Lady, Cersei Lannister-Baratheon, and the Lannister family being technically one of the richest in all of Westeros thanks to their gold mining business, Meera didn't know why Tyrek moved North and worked as an editor for a Northern newspaper.

He seemed nice enough and kinda handsome with his curly blond hair and green eyes, but he's not really her type of guys. And the male line of the Lannister family kind of had a bad rep.

"Oh, that's a bummer." Tyrek said as he pulled over near the University of White Harbor.

Meera got out of the car. "Thank you for the ride, sir—" She stopped herself when Tyrek raised an eyebrow at her. "—I mean, Tyrek."

"Good." Tyrek smiled. "I'll pick you up at five." He winked at her then closed the shotgun door and drove off before she could even protest.

Meera took a deep breath before entering the _University of White Harbor_.

Nothing much changed. It was still the same. Students were hanging out in the Main Quad both the lawn and the tables, ivies were still growing on the facades of some buildings, the giant clock with Roman numerals was still one of the highlights of the Old Main Building besides its portico with the large columns, and the statue of the university founder, Desmond Manderly still stood in the middle of the Main Quad. _Just like old times_, she thought.

As it turned out, Brandon Stark was waiting for her by one of the tables in the Main Quad.

Now being from the richest family in the North, Meera didn't expect him to be so simple.

She remembered the other Starks when she was still studying in the UWH. The eldest, Robb Stark, was in her year. And that guy always dressed corporate, like he's off to a meeting with the president's cabinet members and had killer confidence that always made people look his way. As for the Stark girls, Sansa and Arya were more of princesses in modern clothes, except Sansa was the definite scene-stealer, and Arya was the one who can blend in with the crowd and was very outspoken.

Bran was different. She got to know him first before the interview. He didn't dress all Ritchie Rich like his brother Robb, he wasn't a scene-stealer like his sister Sansa, and he wasn't outspoken like his other sister Arya. But Bran is known in UWH for his academic achievements as he'd topped every exam he took and his highest recorded GPA was 4.9.

Even sitting across him, Meera could tell by the way he carried himself that he was introverted and an easy-going guy. His auburn was slightly unruly, like he just rolled out of bed and hastily combed his hair with his hand and his blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, like he was analyzing her every movement. And he was absent-mindedly fidgeting with the sleeves of his grey sweater.

When she interviewed him about his project, Meera had never heard about it before. It seemed like a scientific breakthrough altogether. But it came with a flaw, so he decided not to commercialize it seeing that it would shut down probably all the oil companies.

Just as they were finishing up, Meera saw her brother holding once again, a potted plant. She loves him but if he brings any more dozens of fucking potted plants in her flat, she's going to throw it all off the balcony.

Afterwards, Bran offered if she would like to come with him to the _Starkgrand Coffee_ while she waits for Tyrek.

Meera didn't know why but she agreed, even if she only met him that afternoon. She was usually keeping her guard when going with people she barely know, but with Bran it was different. She felt at ease and relaxed and he seemed like a nice and decent guy.

Since it was only three blocks away, they get there by walking.

"I miss doing this," Meera admitted. "Walking from school to the _Starkgrand_ to get coffee. It was my after-school routine, you know."

"Really?" Bran's face lit up. "Me too. But when my Mom found out, she told me to stop and that I shouldn't be drinking coffee everyday." He snorted. "I don't know how she'll react if she ever finds out how many cups my sister Arya can drink in one day. That girl lives off coffee."

Meera frowned at him. "How many cups can she drink in a day?" She asked.

"Minimum of five." He blurted out.

She gasped. "What?"

"I know," Bran said. "Sometimes she drinks more when she's burning the midnight oil for a school project."

"Wow, your sister's one tough cookie." She declared. "I'll give her that."

"We had a coffee machine in the flat." He brought up. "One time, I hid it because she was drinking too much coffee."

"Did it work?"

Bran shook his head. "She screamed at me and then went to Starkgrand to buy coffee."

Meera chuckled. "Of course."

The _Starkgrand Coffee_ branch was located at the corner of the street. And because it was Friday, there were more people than usual. They both ordered their respective coffee choices. Bran ordered a caramel macchiato and a few brownies they can munch on, while Meera went for a flat white.

They picked a table in the far corner because it was quieter and sat across each other.

"So, what's your story?" Bran asked out of nowhere.

Meera looked up from her flat white. "I beg your pardon?"

"You said you'll be waiting for your boss to arrive." He said. "Until then, we can talk to pass the time."

"Why my story?"

"You already heard mine earlier." He pointed out.

"Hmm, there's not much to tell." She said as she took one brownie. "I grew up in Greywater Watch—"

"That swampy town in the Neck?"

"Yeah," Meera continued. "With my brother Jojen—you've met him. And our backyard is mostly covered in different kinds of berries."

"Hey, you're the family who owned that berries farm in the Neck." Bran said in awe. "That's so cool. Now, please tell me you have at least helped your workers pick."

"Oh, I have." She confirmed. "Of course, I have. A couple times a week, actually. And I think the workers are growing on us being in the fields all the time."

"Must be fun." He wondered. "It won't be ideal for me and my siblings though. Our dogs follow us everywhere and they'll probably ruin most of the plants."

"You guys each have dogs?"

"Yeah," Bran nodded. "Well, except Theon. He likes dogs well enough but he doesn't trust himself with the responsibility of owning one." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, weren't you interested in running your own family business seeing that you're in the paper press?" He asked.

"It was brought up to discussion right before I applied for college." Meera recalled. "My Dad had the intention of me running it when he retires, but…" She faltered.

"But?"

"I said no."

"Why?" Bran asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I love it there." She admitted. "It's just…it's not something I want to do."

"What did you wanted to do then?"

"To write and touch people with my words." Meera answered. "That's why I took up journalism in college. Graduated with honors and then poof! I'm at the _Northern Herald_." She finished. "My brother is the one who's actually interested in running the family business. That's why he took up—"

"Plant Science." Bran interjected. "Got it."

"Botany." She corrected.

Bran was about to ask another question but someone interrupted him.

"Stark!" A voice called. "Hey!"

They turned and saw a guy with shaggy brown hair wearing a brown leather jacket approached their table.

"Oh, gods." Bran cursed under his breath, then forced out a smile. "Beren, what's up, man?" He greeted with false enthusiasm.

The guy, Beren gave Bran a fist bump before glancing her way, smiling. "Holy shit!" He cussed, then nudged Bran. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Bran turned red. "What? No—!"

"Why have you kept me in the dark all this time?" Beren asked. "We live in the same flat, man. You can always tell me anything."

"Tallhart, shut up!" Bran raised his voice. "She's not my girlfriend." He explained. "She's the journalist doing my interview."

Beren looked embarrassed. "Oh, fuck." He turned to her again. "I'm sorry."

Meera snorted. "It's cool." She assured.

Beren cleared his throat. "Anyways, I need to go. Those guys are waiting for me." He said, gesturing to about five guys on the sidewalk. "They said there are free and unlimited shots of tequila in the _Old Mint_ tonight. Can't say no to that. Catch you guys later." He said before leaving.

"I'm so sorry about that." Bran apologized. "I mean—"

"Bran, it's okay." She assured. "I totally get that. And I'm going to guess, he's one of those people who if you're with someone, even a friend, they pretty much assume you're dating that person, correct?"

"Accurate," Bran confirmed. "And it's fucking annoying. I hate it when it happens."

"I know, right?" She said. "My brother does that to me. Just because some colleague of mine went with me to buy coffee, he automatically thinks that guy's my boyfriend."

"So…you don't have a boyfriend?" He asked.

Meera shook her head. "Nope." She said. "I'm too busy with my job to have one, honestly."

"What?" Bran said in disbelief. "That's unbelievable."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "You've finished school, have the job of your dreams and…you're pretty."

Meera narrowed her eyes on him. "Are you mocking me?"

"No!" Bran said defensively, turning red again. "Gods, no! I would never—" He stopped once he saw her laughing at him. And his expression was adorable when he's embarrassed. "So maybe that Tyrek guy is a candidate?"

"What? No." She disagreed. "Seven hells, no. First of all, there's no way in seven hells am I dating my own boss. Second, he's of the Lannister Clan, and you know what they say about Lannister men. They're womanizers."

Bran frowned. "He's a Lannister?" He repeated. "Honestly, I'm more intrigued by how a Lannister moved North and lived in White Harbor."

"I've been wondering the same thing—" Meera started to say, then felt her phone vibrate from her pocket. She took it out and was not surprised when she saw who's calling. _Tyrek_, it read. "Well, speaking of the devil. I'll take this in a minute. Excuse me." She answered. "Hello, Tyrek."

_"Meera, hey," _Tyrek greeted from the other line. _"Where are you? I'm right outside."_

"Um, about that." She said, then came up with an excuse. "Well, the interview ended earlier than expected so I just went home. And I was cooking dinner, I forgot to text you. I'm sorry."

_"Oh, it's okay."_ He asked. _"What are you doing now?"_

"Uh, I'm…packing my stuff because my brother and I are heading home tonight."

_"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier."_

Across the table, Bran was snickering.

Meera pulled her phone from her ear and covered its microphone. "I need help to get out of this phone call." She whispered at him. "You need to call my name."

Bran nodded and gave her a finger gun. Thankfully, he got what she meant. He leaned back on his seat and called in a moderate voice. "Meera!"

"What?" She supposedly answered.

"I need help with this thing." Bran added.

Meera pulled the phone back to her ear. "Tyrek, I gotta go."

_"Okay, then,"_ Tyrek said_. "See you on Monday."_

She hung up and heaved a sigh.

Bran clapped his hands. "You survived." He said. "Congratulations."

"Oh, thank the gods for you right now." She blurted out. "You saved my life."

He shrugged. "I do what I do."

Meera smiled at the fact that she had seen a goofy side of him and it's amazing. She took her coffee cup and raised it. "Here's to you epically mocking my boss."

Bran grabbed his cup. "Cheers!"

They clanked their cups together before drinking.

"So," Bran started to say. "Are you really going back to Greywater Watch this weekend?" He asked.

"No, I just told him that so he won't bother me the whole weekend."

"So you're basically running out of excuses, am I right?"

"It's getting here." Meera checked her watch. "Look, I need to go because my brother won't be cooking our dinner." She finished her coffee before standing up.

"Um, okay," Bran said, also standing up. "Should I get you a cab?" He asked.

"No, it's fine." She declined, slinging her bag across her shoulder. "I'll just walk home."

Bran raised an eyebrow. "You live close by?" He asked as they got out of the _Starkgrand_.

"My brother's still attending college so it had to be close to the UWH." She explained.

"Well, I can walk you to your place." Bran offered.

"Bran, I've walked home on own multiple times." She pointed out. "This won't be any different."

"I know, but still, I'd feel comfortable if I actually see you getting home safely." He insisted. "Oh, don't worry, I won't be a stalker, I promise."

Meera made a face at him. "What in seven hells are you talking about?" She asked. "Just, come on." She said, then pulled his hand as they made their way across the street.

"So, where exactly do you live?" Bran asked as they walked side-by-side.

"At the Greenwood Flats." She answered.

"Oh, I have a friend who lives there." He brought up. "Cley Cerwyn, do you know him?"

"Yeah, his flat is right across the hall."

She knew Cley Cerwyn, of course. Besides being their neighbor, his older sister, Jonelle was in her year while they were still attending college in UWH.

As they walked, Meera noticed the used-to-be vacant lot across the _Pearl Supermarket_ was now buzzing with people.

It had dozens of food stalls along the sides, cooking fresh food. On the center, were wooden picnic tables with people eating and chatting. And overhead, were several globe string lights and festival pennants.

Meera stopped at her tracks. "This is new."

"The _Cornucopia Food Park_." Bran informed. "It just opened last week."

"How come I've never heard of this place?" She wondered, then turned to Bran. "You've been here?"

"Last Wednesday." He admitted. "Remember that guy in the café earlier? He literally dragged me here to eat dinner. One of his many attempts to get me out and socialize."

"What kind of food do they have here?"

"A little bit of everything," Bran said. "From pizzas to burgers to shish kebabs to roasted chicken, you name it, they have it. Just please don't tell me you're vegan."

"My brother is, but I'm not." She pointed out.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You wanna grab a bite then?"

She smirked. "Looks like I don't have to cook dinner."

They first had to find themselves a table before buying food. One had to sit while the other buys food as the place was starting to get packed.

Bran got himself grilled pork baby back ribs, beef tacos and chocolate milkshakes for the both of them. Meera went for the shish kebabs and quesadillas.

As they ate she texted her brother what he wanted her to buy for him. And his reply:

_Jojen 18:30_

_Anything. As long as it doesn't have meat in it._

In the middle of their dinner, Meera remembered something.

"Hey, there's a question I forgot to ask you."

Bran looked up from his back ribs. "Okay, shoot."

"Where do you live here in White Harbor?"

His eyes widened for a moment, then snorted. "Just…close to campus."

"I know that." Meera said. "You're a student. But where exactly?"

"Just, you know…nearby."

"I told you where I live." She brought up. "And don't worry, I won't be stalking you."

Bran snorted. "Most people freak out when I tell them where I live here." He said before biting down the last of his pork back ribs, then pointed at one of the high-rise buildings with the light blue glass curtain wall. "Up there, on the thirty-fifth floor."

Meera nearly choked on her shish kebabs. "Holy shit!" She gasped as she put down her stick. "You live in a penthouse of the _Aquamarine_?"

He frowned at her. "That's the first time I've heard you use a cuss word."

The _Aquamarine_ is the most high-end flat complex in White Harbor. And with Bran mentioning he lives in the thirty-fifth floor, only meant he's in the penthouse. Because the _Aquamarine_ only had thirty-five levels.

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised at all." She said. "You're a Stark, I mean—"

"And now you're one of the people who freaked out."

"Sorry." She apologized. "It's just…not a lot of people can afford that."

"It's cool." Bran shrugged. "And it's my parents who bought it, so technically I myself couldn't afford it. And it's my last year in UWH. That means my younger brother's the one who's going to live there by next year."

Afterwards, Meera bought vegan quesadillas for Jojen. It took a while to find a vegan option in a food park mostly selling meat, but luckily she did.

"Thanks for walking me home." Meera said. "I have to admit most of the things that happened today were spontaneous."

"Very." Bran agreed.

"But I had fun." She admitted. "And it was great talking to you."

He nodded. "Likewise."

"I'll see you around." She said, before walking up the porch into the building's lobby.

Halfway through, Bran called out. "Meera!"

It made her turn back at him.

"Um, the _Starkgrand_ will be hosting a Slam Poetry Jam tomorrow night." He informed. "And I was wondering if…" He faltered.

"If I wanna come?" She finished. "Are you kidding me? I'd love to."

Bran smiled wide. "Great!" He squealed. "So, um, should I pick you up or—"

"Sure." She agreed. "And then we can have dinner at the _Cornucopia_ again right before we head to the _Starkgrand_."

"Of course." He said. "I had my eyes on those shish kebabs you were eating earlier. I think I'll have those tomorrow."

Meera laughed, then reached into her bag for her wallet, took out one of her calling cards with her phone number printed on it and handed it to Bran.

"What's this?" He asked as he took it from her.

"That is how you'll keep in touch with me." She explained, then walked back to the doors. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	2. Love Struck

**BRAN**

Bran walked home with a smile on his face.

That was the first time he'd ever been so close to a girl. Sure, he had several friends who are girls, even the president's daughter, Myrcella Baratheon, but he had never been drawn to any of them the way he was drawn to Meera.

Even when he arrived at his place in the _Aquamarine_, freshened up, and lay on his bed, he still couldn't stop thinking about her. The image of Meera was still spiraling in his thoughts. Her brown curls, her green eyes and, her warm smile.

The penthouse his parents had bought was a 250 square meter three-bedroom unit at the top floor of the _Aquamarine_. Its second floor was a mezzanine, which meant it was partly open to the floor below. In their case, it overlooked the living room below from the hallway with steel rail and tempered glass.

The three bedrooms were placed beside each other and they were all facing the railed hallway that looked down on the living room. The largest bedroom was built on one end, to which it overlooked the pool outside the balcony. The upstairs bathroom was right across the bedroom on the other end, by the staircase.

Bran took the largest bedroom, of course. His bedroom was larger, yes, but was nothing much. Sure, it had a king-sized bed that he slept alone in, a walk-in closet, and its own bathroom and remote-controlled fireplace, but everything else was pretty much similar to the things he had in his room in their house in Winterfell.

He had a work desk with two computer monitors; a corkboard on the wall right above the monitors for school notes; a comfy leather boss chair; a few bookshelves with his favorite books and file boxes; even an ottoman by his fireplace as he liked to sit there with a cup of coffee, especially when it's snowing.

The last person who occupied the master bedroom was his brother, Robb, while the other two spare bedrooms were occupied by his sisters. So when Robb graduated, Bran took the largest room. His sisters didn't even argue when he claimed it. And now, Beren Tallhart occupied the room Sansa used to own.

His bed had two nightstands with lamps on either side and he had even installed a lamp on his headboard because he liked to read a book before going to sleep.

But now even with the lights off, and it was quiet except for the cracking of fire in his room's fireplace, he still couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned but no, sleep didn't get to him at all.

Until much later, he heard a commotion downstairs. He assumed it was just his roommate, Beren Tallhart. But when he heard a loud bang, like furniture was being destroyed, he instantly got up. That could not have been Beren.

He heard about cases of burglary around White Harbor, especially in the suburban areas. But flats aren't that different as there were still reports on it. So Bran scrambled about the toolbox below his desk and took the largest and lightest tool he could find that can be used as a weapon, which happened to be a crowbar, before slowly tiptoeing downstairs.

The console table near the main doors was overturned. The glass flower vases and figurines on it were broken in pieces on the floor. The phone landline was disconnected from the router. And he could see a silhouette of a hunched person clambering on floor.

Bran tightened his grip on the crowbar ready to strike. As he got closer, he noticed the guy was wearing a familiar leather jacket. But before he could make the swing, he managed to step on one of the shattered pieces of glass on the floor.

The guy on the floor turned his head and raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, wait!" A familiar voice yelped. "Wait!"

He lowered down the crowbar. "Beren?"

"Yeah, it's me." Beren confirmed.

Bran turned on the light switches and it was indeed his roommate, Beren Tallhart.

"Holy shitballs, Stark!" Beren screamed. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"I thought you were a burglar."

"How would a burglar get to the thirty-fifth floor of the _Aquamarine_?" Beren drunkenly asked, trying to get to his feet, but stumbled down. "I think I had too much tequila."

Bran snorted. "You think?" He set down the crowbar and helped his roommate up to his feet. He had Beren's arm around his shoulder for support.

"Just get me to the couch, man," Beren suggested. "I'll be fine." He settled onto the couch. "Thanks, man. I'll clean up the mess in the morning, I swear."

"There's no need," Bran assured as he headed to the kitchen. "I'll do it myself." He took out a broom and dustpan and went to clean up the mess.

"It's 3am, why are you still awake?" Beren spoke up.

Bran glanced at the digital clock in the living room. _01:34_, it read. "It's only 1am." He corrected.

"Hmm, I guess I was early." Beren said. "Dude, graduation's in three weeks, and you're done with your final project. How are you still awake?"

"I can't sleep."

"Oh, I know why," Beren said in a sarcastic tone. "It's that girl earlier, isn't it?" He teased, clapping his hands. "Aww, little Bran is in love!"

"Okay, now I believe that you had too much tequila." He pointed out. "And you won't remember anything you said in the morning."

"I probably won't," Beren agreed. "But sober me probably remembers about that girl you were with yesterday." He yawned. "Congratulations, man."

Before Bran could answer, he already heard Beren snoring on the couch. Afterwards, he went back to his room and forced himself to sleep.

The following morning, Bran woke up and went downstairs to find Beren still snoring on one of the couches. He made himself breakfast, eggs sunny-side up, bacon and pancakes and sat on one of the barstools by the island counter, before remembering to text Meera.

At first, he texted her if he could call her instead because he was too lazy to do a lot of texting. She replied with a _Sure_ and a rofl smiley face emoji.

_"Hey!"_ Meera answered, giggling. _"You still had me with a text that said you were too lazy to text."_

"Sorry," He apologized. "I didn't think you'd answer an unknown number."

_"I work for the Northern Herald."_ She pointed out. _"We're used to getting calls from unknown numbers."_

"So, are we still on tonight?" Bran asked.

_"Of course," _Meera said. _"I've been looking forward to it."_

"Great!" He managed to say louder than usual. "Um, so I'll pick you up?"

_"You do remember that we agreed to walk, right?"_ She reminded him. _"And then we'd grab shish kebabs from the Cornucopia before heading to the Starkgrand."_

"Right, I'm just…checking." He said. "I'll see you tonight."

_"Okay, bye."_ Meera said before hanging up.

Bran smiled as he placed back his phone in his pocket before going back to eating his breakfast.

"Who is that?" Beren spoke up.

It startled Bran that he nearly threw his fork. He turned to his right and saw Beren standing by the opened fridge with a milk carton in hand, and he had a ridiculous smirk on his face.

How Beren managed to make it to the kitchen while being hangover and without him noticing took some skill. He had taken off his leather jacket was only in his white t-shirt and his hair literally looked like he had just rolled out of bed, or couch, whichever.

"Seriously?" Bran complained. "Will you stop that?"

Beren shrugged. "Stop what?"

Bran was about to say something but was interrupted again.

"Whoa!" Beren gasped. "What the fuck happened there?" He asked, pointing at the foyer. "Where are the vases? And why is there a crowbar on the console table?"

Bran narrowed his eyes at him. "Well, obviously, you don't remember anything that happened last night." He said. "You came home drunk and accidentally bumped into the console table and broke all the vases."

Beren scratched his head. "Oh, um, I'm sorry about that." He frowned. "And the crowbar?"

"That was for self-defense. I literally thought you were a burglar."

"Anyways," Beren continued as he poured milk into a glass. "Who was that on the phone you were talking to?"

"Just a friend."

Beren raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't just smile like that if it's just a 'friend', Bran." He said, quoting his fingers in the air. "It is the girl from the café?"

Bran shrugged. "Well, yes, but—"

"Woohoo!" Beren cheered. "Finally!" He placed down his glass of milk on the kitchen counter. "I'm so proud of you, man. It took you four years to actually get a date, but whatever. Progress is progress. And plus points if you get laid tonight."

"What the fuck?" Bran shrieked. "It's not a date." He argued. "We're just going to the Slam Poetry jam in _Starkgrand_. That's it."

"Is it just the two of you?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Then it _is_ a date." Beren insisted.

Bran rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He cleared his throat. "What about you? What are you gonna do when I'm off?" He asked.

Beren emptied his third glass of milk. "Well, you don't have to worry about me bumping into the console table." He assured. "I'm heading home back to Torrhen's Square. My cousin Benfred is getting married tomorrow to some chick from Ironrath and they said I need to be there because I'm family. And I think your parents are invited to the wedding." He poured more milk from the carton but nothing came out. "Fuck, I need more milk."

It was Beren's cure to a hangover: either drinking cartons of milk, eating a box of cereal with milk or eating tons of bananas.

"There's loads of that in the supermarket." He pointed out.

"Nevermind, I'll go for bananas." Beren said as he grabbed about three bananas from the kitchen counter's basket of fruits.

Beren ended up leaving before lunch because his Mom was constantly calling him about needing to get his tux, or that he needed to accompany his older brother to their cousin's bachelor's party or some other reason.

Around 5:30, Bran got ready. He didn't believe in the _dress-to-impress_ notion his brother Robb and sister Sansa always had. He dresses for comfort, just like his other sister Arya always did, and not care about what people think or say. In fact, Arya got into an argument with their Mom, Catelyn because she preferred wearing a classy jumpsuit to a formal event than a dress.

He kept it simple, the way he always did, with only a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and sneakers. And among his siblings, he probably held the record for having the most long-sleeved shirts, even more than Robb, Jon and Theon ever did.

Bran walked to Meera's place as he promised her that they never had to take a cab or drive their cars. He was waiting for her in the Greenwood's lobby.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." A familiar voice spoke from behind him.

He turned and it was Meera. _Wow_, he thought.

Even though what she wore was simple, she looked absolutely beautiful. She wore a white t-shirt whose moss green print speaks just about every insult you can hear about the people who lived in the Neck. _Crannogmen & Frogeaters & Bogdevils & Mudmen_, it said. She also had black trousers on with a green checkered shirt tied around her waist probably used as a belt, high-cut sneakers and she had a small crossbody bag slung on her shoulder. But what really sold it was how Meera's curly brown hair draped over her shoulders, how her green eyes sparkled and her warm smile just lights up the entire room.

Bran was so lost in thought (again), that Meera had to snap her fingers in his face.

"Hey," She called. "You okay?"

"Um, yeah." He said, forcing out a smile.

"Good, because I'm starving." Meera announced. "Let's go get ourselves some shish kebabs from the _Cornucopia_." She then grabbed his hand and proceeded to drag him out of the building and out onto the sidewalk.

The _Cornucopia_ had more people than usual, probably because it was a weekend. They went all meat since they were both meat-lovers. They got about three shish kebabs each, and a three-way sliders platter which featured: a Riverlander cheese-stuffed beef slider, a pepperoni pizza slider, and spicy crispy chicken slider, with fries on the side. As for their drinks, they settled for iced tea.

They sat across each other on a wooden picnic table as they munched on their food.

Bran took a bite from his shish kebabs and went _hmm_. "You're right." He said. "These are fucking delicious."

"I know, right?" Meera agreed.

"I think we should try every food off of every food stall the next time we come here." He suggested.

Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "So there's still a next time?" She asked.

He could feel himself turning red from embarrassment. "Um…I mean, if—if you want to. Then, maybe?" He stuttered, not knowing what else to say.

She giggled. "Are you kidding me? I'd love it." She said. "I can't bring my brother here because he's vegan, and my colleagues have boyfriends and are often on dates."

"Cool." Bran sighed in relief, but deep inside it was just like his heart was doing fifty cartwheels. He eventually went back to his shish kebabs, before Meera made a face at him. "What?" He asked.

Meera chuckled. "You have…" She pointed on her lower lip.

"What?" He asked again.

"You have barbeque sauce on your lower lip."

Bran used the back of his hand to wipe it off, but he only succeeded in smudging more sauce across his chin.

Meera laughed. "Hold on, I'll clean it up myself." She said as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a pack of carry-on wet wipes. She took one and wiped the sauce off his chin.

Bran found himself staring at her as she did. And her green eyes sparkled against the festive lights around the food park.

"Meera?" A voice called not far from them.

They both turned to where the voice came from and saw a young woman with strawberry blond hair walking towards their table.

"Meera, hey!" The girl greeted.

Meera raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Gwyn?" She said. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi." The girl, Gwyn smiled. "I didn't realize you were on a date."

Meera turned to him and looked kind of embarrassed.

"Um, no, no," Bran spoke up. "This is not what it looks like."

"Yeah," Meera agreed, then cleared her throat. "Anyways, this is my colleague, Gwyn Whitehill."

Gwyn held out her hand for him to shake. But before Bran could say anything, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you look so familiar?" She wondered.

"Alright," Meera spoke up. "So, he's gonna be featured on the paper by Monday." She said. "Under my article."

Gwyn gasped. "Okay, I know who you are now." She informed. "You're Brandon Stark. Hi, I'm Gwyn."

"Hello, Gwyn." He acknowledged as he shook her hand. "_Bran_ is fine."

Gwyn leaned closer to Meera and whispered loudly. "He's so much nicer than Tyrek and so much more good-looking."

"Um, I can hear you." He pointed out.

Meera looked annoyed. "Bran, please ignore her."

"But I'm flattered though," Bran said. "Even though this boss of yours is supposedly a Lannister, right?"

Gwyn's mouth hung open, then turned to Meera for answers.

"It's a long story." Meera stated.

Gwyn raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, we have a _lot_ to talk about on Monday then."

"Hey, babe." A dark-haired guy suddenly wrapped his arm around Gwyn's waist, then nodded at Meera's direction. "S'up, Meera."

"Oh, Bran, this is my boyfriend," Gwyn introduced the dark-haired guy. "Asher Forrester."

The guy, Asher frowned at him. "Wait, I know you." He said, nudging Gwyn. "Babe, it's the guy from the Science Expo. Brandon Stark, right?" He asked. "_Water as Fuel_. It's great stuff."

"Thanks," Bran said. "You guys can join us if you want." He offered.

"Oh, we'd love to," Gwyn answered. "But we're just grabbing food for the road."

"Where are you guys going?" Meera asked.

"Ironrath," Asher said. "My sister is getting married tomorrow."

Bran nearly spat out his iced tea. "What?" He asked like he'd misheard him. "Okay, this is crazy, but is your sister getting married to a Tallhart from Torrhen's Square?"

"Uh, yes," Asher confirmed, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. "How did you know?"

"Well, my roommate is a Tallhart." He explained. "And he said he was going home because a cousin of his is getting married to a Forrester in Ironrath."

Asher nodded. "Oh, I think Benfred and Mira—" He gestured at Meera. "Not this Meera, I meant my sister, Mira. I think they mentioned about Benfred's cousin who's attending UWH. What was that guy's name again?" He snapped his fingers, trying to remember. "Oh, Beren? Beren Tallhart, right?"

"Yeah, that's him." Bran affirmed.

"So," Meera interjected. "You're really not joining us?" She asked.

"We would," Asher said. "But we need to head out."

And with that, Gwyn and Asher left.

"I am so sorry for everything Gwyn said." Meera apologized. "She just gets excited at times and talks a little bit too much."

"I get that." Bran said. "My sister, Sansa is also like that when she gets nervous or excited, which annoys the shit out of my other sister, Arya."

"Well, I'm glad to say that I don't have sisters." She said, then bit into her second slider and chewed. "There's probably too much drama."

Bran shook his head. "You have no idea." He snorted. "They don't get along, like, at all. Most of the time, it will take us boys to break them apart."

"So, on which sister's side are you on when it happens?"

"I don't usually take sides, because it's ridiculous." He pointed out. "Rationally, I'd for whoever is right. But if we're talking about the literal pulling apart thing, I'm usually restraining Arya because she's the most physically aggressive one among them."

"You know, I've always wanted to meet your sister Arya." She admitted. "I've seen her on campus when I was still attending UWH. She was always on those university activist movements, right? And she gives off this _champion-of-the-masses_ vibe."

"Champion of the masses?" He repeated. "Wow, that sounds…poetic. That would be a perfect headline for a newspaper article."

Meera shrugged. "I'm not working in the _Northern Herald_ for nothing, you know." She chuckled, then stood "I'm just gonna buy more fries so we'll have something to munch on during the slam poetry jam in _Starkgrand_."

. . .

After eating their dinner, Bran and Meera headed to the _Starkgrand Coffee_.

The Slam Poetry Jam was held twice a month in the _Starkgrand Coffee_ in partnership with the University of White Harbor's Literary Society and the management of the café. A small stage was placed on corner of the café with lights, a microphone and words _Poetry Slam!_ on a curtain behind it.

The place was starting to get packed with mostly art and literature geeks.

They scored a table on the second row from the stage. Meera readied their food as Bran brought them milkshakes for their drinks.

When it started, it became quiet as people listened attentively to someone on the microphone on the small stage.

"This is so cool," Meera whispered beside him. "I haven't been it an event like this since college."

People would take turns either reciting or reading from a piece of paper a slam poem of their own composition and are judged by members of the audience, selected randomly. Interactive games in between intermissions are held.

They also have this segment called _Word-in-the-Bowl_, where they would randomly pick an audience member and have them draw from a glass fishbowl small pieces of rolled of paper. Each paper contained a word/s for which the person who had drawn it and they must compose an impromptu slam poem about it. It mostly had the most ridiculous words like: _Spray Tan_, _Aliens_, or _Martial Law_.

Meera was one of the five selected. And the word she had drawn: _Love_.

"Whoa." The host said. "That is probably the most complex one. Can you handle that?" He asked.

Meera only shrugged. "Anything's possible." She assured.

Bran gave her an encouraging nod and a thumbs-up when she came up to the microphone. "You can do this." He said.

"Love." Meera started, then paused for a while before going on. _"Love is like being robbed in an alley, unexpected and unassuming."_

The crowd gave an _ooh_ sound, and others leaned in closer for them to hear more.

_"Love is like watching a game in the stands, but you get hit by a foul ball."_ Meera continued. _"It had a slight chance of happening, but it did anyway."_

At that, Bran went _whoa!_ And that's only an impromptu slam poem. How much more intriguing will it be if she'd actually written a slam poem? He asked himself.

_"Love is like not knowing how to swim, but someone throws you an inflatable buoy."_ She said. _"A lifesaver, literally."_

The entire crowd laughed.

_"Love is like getting a massage."_ She prompted. _"A bit painful, but it's good pain."_

Bran smiled at the fact at how Meera got the audiences' attention because it was quiet.

_"Love is like stubbing your toe in a corner of a table. It makes you scream from the pain, but afterwards, it gives you relief."_ Meera remarked. _"Love is like the fire in the winter. It keeps you warm and grounded."_

Bran found himself staring at her for no reason other than she's reciting a slam poem. Like, literally his chin on the top of his palm and he probably had a ridiculous smile on his face.

_"Love is like falling off the stairs because of a godsdamned banana peel. Embarrassing at times, but you just have to get up and deal with it."_ She added. _"Love is like chopping onions and accidentally cutting yourself. It makes you cry and get hurt, but you keep going."_

At this point, the audience was starting to cheer.

_"Most of all, love is like trekking up a mountain. It's not about how fast you get there or what prize is waiting at the top." _Meera finished. _"It's the journey getting there that makes it all worth it."_

The crowd clapped their hands, while some even gave a standing ovation. The judges gave her an average score of nine overall and won the _Word-in-the-Bowl_ segment.

Her prize for winning was the limited edition _Citadel Maester_, a range of luxury fountain pens produced by the _Citadel Pen Company_. Bran knew about it because his Dad, Ned used the same types of pens. Only twenty of that model were ever made, so owning one seemed like owning one of the rarest diamonds. And its casing was made of black velvet, leather, and glass, like it's some sort of jewelry.

"That was very well done!" Bran told Meera as soon as she got back to her seat. "I mean—just wow! You were amazing."

Meera smirked. "I'm not in the _Northern Herald_ for nothing."

"You proved that twice today."

She shrugged. "Anyways," She slid the case of her _Citadel Maester_ across the table to him. "Here you go."

"No, it's yours." Bran shook his head, sliding it back to her. "You earned that. And that's like, the limited edition one."

"I know," Meera said. "And it'll be pretty selfish of me if I owned two of the twenty."

Bran blinked. "What?"

"I already have one of those," Meera admitted. "I never actually bought one, it was also a prize I had won." She slid it across the table again. "Now, you take it. It's also my way of thanking you for bringing me here tonight."

"A pretty expensive thank you gift, don't you think?"

"Just take the damn pen." She insisted.

It took him a while to process it and he also knew Meera wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Alright," Bran said as he reluctantly took the pen from her. "Thank you, seriously."

"You're welcome." She smiled.

_Holy shit!_ Bran thought. _She's so fucking pretty. And super nice too._

They left early as the café proceeded to host stand-up comedy after the poetry slam. Now, stand-up comedy wasn't really his thing, but he decided to stay in case Meera wanted to. But it was like she read his mind because she offered to get out of the café.

It was early because it was only eleven at night. And yes, when you're in your twenties, eleven at night is still considered early.

"That was so freakin' amazing!" Meera squealed. "We definitely should do that again."

"Of course," Bran agreed. "Right after we try off every food in the _Cornucopia_."

They both laughed. And it was great to hear her laugh.

"So, um," He started to say. "What now?" He asked.

Meera shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted. "But after everything that happened in there, I still don't wanna go home. I feel like my night had just started."

"Okay, how about we watch movies?" Bran suggested.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "It's eleven at night," She reminded him. "I don't think there are still movie theaters that are open at this hour. Even at the weekends."

"I meant to watch movies at my place." He pointed out. "My roommate left for his cousin's wedding tomorrow. I was hoping we could do a little _Webiflix and chill_."

Meera then had the most terrified look on her face. "Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief.

"_Webiflix and chill_ in my place." He repeated.

This time, she stepped away from him and had a disgusted expression on her face. "I just met you yesterday."

Then it hit him, the whole _Webiflix and chill_ had another dirty meaning.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Bran said. "I don't mean that! I meant literally watching _Webiflix_. Not the other… dirty one." He could feel himself turning red from embarrassment. "Seven fucking hells! I'm just gonna walk you home." He suggested, not looking at her.

Instead of ignoring him and just storming away, Meera burst out laughing. "Oh my gods!" She snickered. "You should've seen your face."

"Wait, so you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Meera frowned at him. "I got what you meant." She assured. "I know you're not like those type of guys. And besides, I've never been to the _Aquamarine_."

"So it's on?"

"Yeah, totally." She confirmed. "I need to buy a bucket fries though, so we'll have something to eat."

"I have popcorn we can put in the microwave." Bran brought up. "But I guess fries are better. I'll take that."

They went back to the _Cornucopia_, brought a bucket of fries and two liters of fruit soda before heading to the _Aquamarine_.

Entering the lobby, they were greeted by the doorman, Wex Pyke, with a wide grin. Bran found it odd as he never usually does at that hour.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark." Wex addressed with a smirk on his face, then turned to Meera. "Good evening, miss."

Wex is a good friend of his foster brother, Theon Greyjoy ever since they were both taken into foster care from the Iron Islands. At age ten, Theon was taken in by the Stark family in Winterfell, and Wex was thirteen when he was fostered by the Manderlys there in White Harbor. Wex started working in the _Aquamarine_ after he graduated, basically when Robb and Theon were only in their sophomore year in college.

Bran had Meera went ahead to the elevators and press the up button. Wex had then tapped his shoulder.

"Finally." Wex whispered.

At first, Bran didn't get what he meant. But then remembered that Wex had once asked him why he never brought girls over the way his brothers did.

As Bran joined Meera into the elevator, Wex waved at them. "Now you two have fun!" He said.

After the elevator doors closed, Bran turned to Meera.

"I am so sorry about that." He apologized. "Wex is not usually like that. All he does is greet me, that's it. I don't sit in the lobby and talking with him unlike my brothers do."

"Why is that?"

"Well, maybe because Wex and my foster brother, Theon go way back." He explained. "They were both taken by the _Child Protection Services_ from the Iron Islands before being sent to foster care here in the North."

Once they reached their floor, Bran led her into the penthouse.

"Whoa," Meera said in awe as she made a quick twirl in the living room, which was, in many ways the center of the penthouse. "You've got a great place."

"Thanks," Bran said. "Robb said our Dad hired an interior designer to get this place together." He explained. "But when Arya came to live here, she did a lot of changes."

"What kind of changes?" She asked.

"Well, to name a few, there's the lighting, that table—" He pointed at the coffee table in the living room. "—the kitchen countertops, that brick wall—" He pointed to the wall that had the flight of stairs by it. "—and the water feature by the pool outside."

"There's a pool—right, of course, there's a pool." Meera reminded herself. "This is a penthouse." She turned to him. "Hey, I know renovation is great. But I'm just wondering how did your sister afford all that? I mean, there's no DIY installation of kitchen countertops, right?"

Bran made a face. "Well, my sister Arya is…sort of a _daddy's girl_." He explained. "She always knows what to say to our Dad for him to approve anything. Probably, like," He cleared his throat and imitated his sister's voice. "_Hi daddy, I don't like the Marble countertops. We should change it to Granite because it's very strong and durable_."

Meera chuckled. "Oh my gods."

"Whatever she did, it worked." He continued. "Because the following week, a few guys came over and installed the granite kitchen countertops."

Meera glanced at the kitchen, which can be seen from the angle she was standing on from the living room. "It looks great." She said. "And it goes well with the walls and the cabinets. Genius."

"She did have courses that involve Interior Design." He recalled. "So that's why. Even though our parents didn't know she took Architecture until she graduated. The only thing they knew about Arya that involves art was that she paints as her recreation."

"Yeah, you mentioned that." She raised an eyebrow. "Arya paints as well?"

Bran nodded in confirmation. "That one right there." He pointed on the large painting hanging on the brick wall with spotlights on it. "That's one of her many paintings. She has five here and a dozen at home in Winterfell."

Meera walked over to the painting on the brick wall and observed it. Bran watched her as she did and wondered if it would be great to take her to a museum next time.

Arya's painting was an impressionist acrylic on canvas of the city skyline of White Harbor at night. _Summer Night Skyline_, Arya had named it, and it even had a small placard like the one in museums. He remembered how Arya spent two weeks outside the balcony by the pool everynight, carrying her easel and canvas to paint the view. She had even drawn X marks on the tiles so that she'd remember where to place the easel.

Bran went to stand beside her. He was tempted to put his arm around her but restrained himself. If he did that, Meera would probably shake his arm off of her and hit him. And he didn't want that.

"It's beautiful." She spoke up. "Now, I'd really want to meet your sister."

"I'll introduce her to you someday." He promised. "And I think the _Picasso-champion-of-the-masses_ will also be thrilled to meet you."

Meera smiled, turning to him. "I see what you did there." She said. "That's a nice touch." She cleared her throat. "But right now, as much as I admire your place and your sister's renovation ideas, I think we should start to watch a movie."

"Right," He said, gesturing for her to follow him to the largest couch, which was facing the large flatscreen with installed digital surround sound system.

It was Robb's idea. He was the techie one in the penthouse then. And if Arya was redesigning things in the penthouse, Robb was responsible with all the stuff that involved technology. So, of course, he started with the digital surround sound to make them feel like they were watching a movie in a theater. There was the remote-controlled fireplace, the wifi router and he installed a _One-Tap System_ wherein everything will be controlled in their phone tablets, like the temperature in each of the rooms or the volume of the music played.

Bran also remembered his sisters arguing over which music playlist they would play while they do chores on the weekends. It was either Sansa's hopeless romantic playlist or Arya's feel-good motivational playlist and always insisted that he was the deciding vote, which he found annoying.

Meera placed the fries on the coffee table as they both sat on the couch. Bran then took the remote and started browsing for movies to watch.

"So what movie are we watching?" He asked.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "You asked me to watch movies. I'm assuming you'd decide that."

"Okay, let's go to the genres." Bran brought up. "Take your pick: horror, romantic, action/adventure."

"Oh, definitely action/adventure." Meera answered. "I hate the jumpscares in horror films and romantic flicks are often so cheesy."

"Suspense or Science-Fiction?"

"Science Fiction all the way."

"Have you seen _Star Wars_?"

"No," Meera admitted. "But it's the one with the laser swords—"

"Lightsabers." He corrected.

"Right," She nodded. "And the one with the _Luke, I am your father—NO! _memes, right?" She asked.

He frowned at her. "Oh, so you just happened to guess the biggest cinematic reveal in the franchise?"

"My brother is a fan of Star Wars."

"But you've never seen it." He repeated. "Why?"

"Well, because I've had the timeline confused and I just lost interest in actually watching it no matter how Jojen insisted."

"Now that you've said it, we're watching it." Bran said as he played _Star Wars Episode 1_ on the flatscreen. "You will love this."

"And what makes you so sure I'm gonna love it?"

"You're a journalist." He pointed out. "Journalists love great stories. This _is_ a great story." He insisted. "And I also think your brother will thank me for this."

During the first few minutes, Meera looked bored as she held the bucket of fries on her lap. But then she started asking questions like, who's this and who's that. And of course, being the big _Star Wars_ geek that he is, he answered them thoroughly.

Most people find it annoying asking lots of question during the movie, but Bran didn't mind. He liked being asked the questions, so he basically explained to her the whole hierarchy of the _Jedi Order_. And he also enjoyed watching Meera getting into the movie.

Once they got to the climax, she started asking questions that involved spoilers.

"Ooh, war council." She noted. "They're obviously gonna win, but of course there will be one of those moments when the enemy thinks they've won."

"There's always that moment in movies." He agreed.

They continued watching, as they ate away the fries and the drank the fruit sodas.

"A double-lightsaber!" Meera gasped. "Now, that's awesome!" She turned to him. "What happens to them after their lightsaber battle?" She asked.

"You're just gonna have to watch the duel to find out."

Meera knitted her eyebrows. "It's not a duel because there are three of them." She corrected. "But seriously, what happens then? I don't care about spoilers. Just tell me."

Bran smiled at the fact that Meera's literally fangirling about the movie.

"The master's gonna die." He blurted.

"WHAT?" Meera exclaimed. "What do you mean he's gonna die?" She repeated like she'd misheard him. "He can't die. He's like, the main character. You don't kill off the main character."

"But they did." He said, pointing back at the screen just in time when Darth Maul stabs Qui-Gon Jinn in his chest.

"What the fuck?" She shrieked. "They did kill him. But why?" She asked.

"Character development."

"Oh, okay." Meera nodded in agreement. "So his padawan, Obi-Wan probably becomes a master and that blond kid, Anakin becomes his padawan, right?"

Bran shrugged. "Yeah, basically."

"A predictable ending." She pointed out. "But that kid did have potential though. _The force is strong in him._" She quoted.

He made a face at her again. "Right."

"Why are you giving me that look?" She asked. "Please don't tell me he turns evil."

Once the movie ended, the credits started rolling on the screen.

"You know what," Bran spoke up. "After that, I'm not gonna give you any more spoilers." He declared.

"Fine," She yawned. "Let's watch the second movie then."

Bran checked the digital clock in the living room. _01:46_, it read. "Alright," He agreed. "I need to have a potty break first." He said, before heading to the bathroom.

When he returned, he found Meera had fallen asleep on the couch. She had her head on the armrest and she was clutching a throw pillow in her arms and between her knees. She was clearly sleeping soundly and he decided not to disturb and wake her up so Bran took a blanket from the linen closet and wrapped it over Meera.

Watching her made him smile. He won't deny that he wasn't tempted to kiss her. But it would be disrespectful. And if he did kiss her while she was sleeping it would come out as assault and she might never speak to him again.

Bran decided to just sleep on one of the armchair recliners because he wanted to be there when Meera wakes up. He changed into his pj's and took another blanket from the linen closet before preparing his place.

He had then played a relaxing piano sleep music on the _One-Tap System_, the same way he does when he's having trouble sleeping, before turning all the lights off and only the fireplace adjacent to the couch Meera was sleeping in, was the source of light and warmth.

. . .

Bran woke up the later that day to find Meera still sleeping. He checked the digital clock. _07:02_, it displayed.

He decided to cook breakfast, hoping Meera would wake up to its aroma from the kitchen.

Sure enough, a little later as he placed the ingredients in the cooking pan and heated water for coffee in an electric kettle, Meera awoke and sat up from the couch.

"Oh, hey!" Bran called. "Good morning. Breakfast will be ready in a minute." He assured.

Meera rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "It's morning and I'm still here." She sounded worried. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked.

"Well, you look cozy clutching the pillows, so I didn't." Bran explained. "But don't worry, I promise I'll be driving you home," He promised. "Right after you have breakfast with me."

He placed the freshly-cooked meals on the plates on the kitchen counter as Meera walked towards the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" She asked as she sat on one of the barstools by the island counter.

Bran placed her meal before her. "Bacon and Cheese Omelette."

"That looks and smells delicious," Meera's eyes widened in surprise. "What cheese did you put in?" She asked.

"Cheddar." He replied as he poured hot water from the electric kettle into mugs for himself and Meera with peppermint tea bags. "And here's your tea."

"Wow, thank you." Meera said gratefully. "How did you know I drink tea in the morning rather than coffee?" She asked.

"I don't, actually." Bran said. "I prefer tea in the morning rather than coffee because it helps me relax. And I didn't know you do too."

"Oh, um, yeah, same reason." She said. "And it helps detoxify your body."

"Well, let's dig in." He said as he sat down beside her with his meal and tea.

As they ate their breakfast, he noticed Meera smiling at him.

"What is it?" Bran asked.

"Nothing," She shrugged, then went back to her meal. "It's just, I've never had a guy cook me breakfast before, besides my Dad."

"Really?" He wondered. "What about your brother?"

"Jojen?" She snorted. "That guy relies on me for home-cooked vegan-option meals. So when we're not in Greywater or I'm not there, he orders himself a vegan pizza or vegan burgers."

"With tofu as the meat substitute?"

"Tempeh." She blurted out. "He prefers tempeh than tofu because it's healthier."

Bran shook his head. "You know, I feel sorry for vegans." He said. "They're missing a lot of great food."

"Tell me about it." She agreed.

Just as they were finishing up, they heard the front door open.

"Bran!" A voice called from the foyer, then the sound of the doors being closed.

"Bran!" The voice called again followed by steps that belonged to someone in high heels, when he recognized who it belonged to, his eyes widened.

_Oh, gods, no!_ He mentally screamed. _How in seven hells is she here?_

"Bran, get your fucking arse out of bed now!" The voice was yelling now. _Yep, definitely her._ He thought.

Bran stood and accidentally dropped his spoon on the floor, which made the footsteps head towards the kitchen.

He tossed it in the dishwasher in time to see his sister Arya walking towards the kitchen.

"Bran—" Arya started to say, but then her eyes widened and she smiled suspiciously. "Oh, what do we have here?"

He had no idea what his sister was doing there at that moment, but it must be something important because she won't just drive to White Harbor on a Sunday morning for nothing.

And for some reason, Arya was all dressed up, formally. Well, sort of. She was wearing a classy silver one-shoulder strap jumpsuit and paired it black sandals with high heels. And she had a wooden coat hanger on one hand covered in black garment cover.

"Arya?" Bran blinked. "What are you doing here?" He demanded. "And how did you even got in?"

His sister looked at him like he's an idiot. "In case, you forgot, I used to live here." Arya reminded him. "So, of course, I still have the keys. Anyways, everyone tried to call you but you're out of reach." She explained. "Both the landline and your cellphone. We couldn't even reach the voice mail. Mom and Dad called the phone company and they said that your landline subscription is still active, but is only plugged out."

Bran remembered that the phone landline was on the console table. The same table Beren had knocked over when he came home drunk the day before.

He cursed. "I forgot to check about that." He said. "Beren came home drunk the other night and knocked everything off the console table. So I think it's sort of, my fault."

Arya raised an eyebrow at him. "And your cellphone?"

He tapped his pockets, but nothing. He didn't remember where he'd left it, so he shrugged. "The battery's probably dead. I forgot to charge it last night." He was about to go find when Arya raised her hand and stopped him.

"Wait, aren't you gonna introduce me to your girlfriend?" She asked with a teasing smirk.

Bran immediately felt horrible as he almost forgot Meera was there.

"No!" He and Meera said at the same time.

He could feel himself turning red, yet again.

"I'm not his girlfriend." Meera revealed.

"No, she's not my girlfriend." Bran agreed. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Arya, this is Meera Reed," He turned back to Arya. "Meera, this is my sister Arya."

Arya smiled and held out her hand for a shake. "Oh, hi."

Meera shook Arya's hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She said. "And I love your paintings."

His sister had a confused look on her face. "Um, thanks."

Arya narrowed her eyes on Meera. "Hold on, your name sounds familiar." She noticed. "I think I read it in a newspaper."

Bran cleared his throat. "She's a journalist on the _Northern Herald_." He informed.

"Oh, wow!" His sister's mouth hung open in surprise. "I knew it."

"Bran's gonna be featured in tomorrow's issue," Meera announced. "For winning in the Science Expo. And that article's written by yours truly."

Arya nodded. "Nice." She acknowledged. "Definitely grabbing an issue tomorrow."

"Anyways, Arya," Bran interjected. "You never answered my question. What are you doing here?" He asked again. "And why are you dressed like that? Are you going to a party this early?"

"No, idiot," Arya snapped back. "We're going to a wedding."

"_We_?"

"Yes, _we_." She repeated. "Didn't Beren tell you anything about his cousin's wedding? Apparently, we're invited and Mom and Dad insisted that we should all go, including Theon."

"Why do I need to be there?" He asked.

"I don't know," Arya said irritably. "You asked them that question. Even I don't know why I need to be there." She held out the coat hanger with the garment cover. "Oh, and I brought your tux, just like Mom said."

Bran sighed. "What time are they going to expect us?"

"Dad said we should be in Ironrath by lunchtime," Arya recalled. "And it's a two-hour drive from here."

"Uh, I should probably go," Meera spoke up. "You guys need to prepare."

Bran nodded. "Okay, I'll just grab my keys and I'll drive you home."

"No, no, I'll just walk home." She assured.

"No," He disagreed. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of you walking home alone."

"It's not the first time I've done it, Bran." Meera pointed out. "I'll be alright. And you need to prepare to get to Ironrath."

"Oh, it's fine." Arya spoke up. "We'll leave at like, a quarter to ten. So, technically, Bran has an hour to get ready."

Bran glanced at his sister only to see her rummaging through the fridge, probably finding something to eat or drink.

Bran didn't like arguing. "You know what?" He said. "How about I just get you a cab?"

"No, dum-dum!" Arya interrupted, slamming the fridge close. "Drive her home." She insisted.

He glared at his sister. "Arya, please." He absolutely hated it when people interfered in his business.

Arya raised her hands in surrender. "Right, sorry." She said, then proceeded to get a grilling pan from base cabinets.

"Fine, I'll take a cab." Meera finally said. "I'll text you when I'm already in my flat."

He smiled. "Great."

"Where the fuck is the cheese?" Arya suddenly complained.

Bran huffed. "Arya, it's on the island counter."

"Oh," Arya snatched the cheese and the chopping board. "I'll see you around, Meera." She said as he and Bran left.

They rode the elevator down to the lobby. Luckily for them, he didn't spot Wex anywhere, who had probably had gone for a potty break or something, because if Wex was there, he'd probably tease the shit out of them.

Meera started to head to the main doors, but Bran took her hand and pulled her towards the other set of doors that led to the flat complex's parking space.

"But I thought I was going to take a cab," Meera brought up. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see." Bran said, as he gently dragged her. What Meera didn't know, was Bran was able to snatch his car keys right before they left the penthouse.

Meera stopped at her tracks as they got out of the doors when she saw dozens of cars parked. "Why are we here?" She demanded.

"Because I'm driving you home." He said, winking at her. "I promised you, didn't I? And I never break a promise. Ever."

She gave him a genuine smile, then snorted. "Okay, you had me at _promise_." She said. "Looks like I can never argue with that."

Bran motioned his head at the direction of his car. "Come on, then."

The _Aquamarine_ had the perpendicular type parking with the slots wider than the standard measurements. And since the _Aquamarine_ is the most high-end flat complex, it means they house the few of the richest people not originating from White Harbor.

_Few_, because the richest family in the city were the Manderlys and they don't live in flats as they live in mansions on the hilltops. And in their case, their parents would probably go far as buying a house for them to stay while they attend UWH, but they knew that they were only there temporarily. So instead, they brought a penthouse unit because it's cheaper than buying a house and lot.

They walked past around nine luxury cars to get to his. And by luxury cars, like literally Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Yes, the people staying there were that rich. And Arya's white Porsche was parked next to his car, right on Beren's spot.

Meera gasped when she saw his car. "Whoa."

"What?" He asked.

"You drive a BMW?" She said in awe. "Oh my gods."

Bran shrugged. "It was a gift from my parents on my 18th birthday." He said. "I mean, it's not much—"

"It's not much?" She exclaimed. "It's a fucking BMW."

"Just get in, please." He said as he slid into the driver's seat.

Meera sat on the shotgun and was too quiet than usual.

Bran started the engines and then drove out the building. "Um, are you surprised by any of this?"

"Overwhelmed." She admitted. "But what I'm more surprised is that you're keeping a low profile about it. You cook your own meals and you walk to class."

"That way I can save gas money." He explained. "And it's great if you cook your own food rather than having some delivered."

"True," Meera agreed. "Who knew there are some rich people who are thrifty?"

"I'm not rich," He corrected. "It's my parents who are rich."

"That's one of the things only rich people would say."

"I just…don't want to get an impression of like, _oh, he can get anything he wants, he's rich_. I think it destroys your character as a person. And I don't want that." He admitted, and he had never told anyone about that before. Most people he met him were like that, and he hated it.

He just expected Meera to just burst out laughing, but to his surprise, she sympathized with his small predicament.

"Nah, you're more like that kid during recess that just reads a book in the corner rather than plays in the playground." She assured. "_That_ is the vibe I got from you ever since we first met. And I'm not saying that to make you feel better, I'm saying that because it's the truth."

"That's good news." Bran slowly smiled as he pulled over right in front of the Greenwood Flats. "Here we are."

"Thank you for everything," She said. "I mean everything, the accommodation, the free breakfast, and the free ride. And you still owe me a _Star Wars_ marathon."

He shrugged."Don't mention it." He chuckled. "As for the marathon, it's so on. So, same time on Friday?"

"I get off from work at five."

"Oh, I'll pick you up, then." Bran offered. "And then we'll walk." He quickly added.

"Yes," Meera agreed. "Because it's good exercise, saves energy and lessens the carbon footprint."

"Of course," He said. "And hopefully, I'll be able to meet your boss and see how much of an egoistic person he is."

Meera just stared at him. "You do not want to meet him, honestly." She promised. "And how did you know that he's sort of an egoistic person?" She asked.

"My sister Sansa once dated Joffrey Baratheon." He blurted.

Her eyes widened. "The president's son?"

"Yeah, him." He confirmed. "And he's…kind of a snob. I don't like him at all. His pride and ego are just…way up there, probably higher than the summits of the mountains in the Vale if you ask me. And his last name isn't even Lannister. My Mom says it's a family trait that they have, besides their golden blond hair."

"Wow, I think you just described him, in a way." Meera chuckled, then opened the shotgun car door. "Anyways, thanks again."

Suddenly, she leaned in closer to him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

They both locked eyes in surprise, like they have no idea what in seven hells had just happened before Meera bolted out of the car and close the car door.

Bran himself took a moment before shaking himself back to reality. _Did she just kiss me on the cheek? _He mentally asked himself. He turned outside to see Meera by the main doors of the Greenwood Flats with a smile on her face and she was waving her hand at him.

He waved back at her before driving back to his place. In his mind, he was screaming at the top of his lungs. _Yes!_ And he definitely went back to the penthouse with a smile on his face and didn't even care when Wex was teasing him.

Bran was still smiling when he entered the penthouse.

"That's a smile I've never seen before." Arya suddenly spoke up.

Bran jumped back in surprise. He had totally forgotten his sister Arya was in the penthouse. "What the fuck?" He exclaimed.

Arya had an apron over her silver jumpsuit and she was putting an olive garnish on top of a beef slider she had just cooked. "Slider?" She offered the plate she had just finished.

"You're cooking?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'm hungry. You can't blame me." She said handing him the plate.

He gave her a skeptical look, then took the plate and examined it.

His sister rolled her eyes. "Why are you looking at the slider like I put poison in it?" She demanded.

"Where's the cheese?" He asked suspiciously.

Arya sighed in annoyance. "I stuffed the beef patty with the cheese before grilling it." She explained before biting into another slider. "And why the fuck are you even asking so many questions about it? Just eat!" She urged.

Bran bit into the same slider he examined. "Hmm, it's actually good."

"Of course, it is," Arya said confidently as she finished off the last of her slider. "But that's enough about my awesome food." She said. "You know, when Wex told me you brought a girl with you last night, I thought he was messing with me."

"I didn't sleep with her." He insisted. "If that's what you're gonna ask about. We only watched a movie."

"When did you first meet?"

Immediately, Bran could feel himself going flustered. Arya was his closest sister, and if he was going to open up to anyone in their family, it would be to her.

He explained that they met first when she interviewed him for the feature article in the _Northern Herald_, which was literally two days ago. It made Arya knit her eyebrows, but then he continued on with him and Meera going for coffee and then to the _Cornucopia Food Park_ before walking her home. The following day, they went to the Slam Poetry Jam in _Starkgrand Coffee_ before heading to his place for a movie, until Meera fell asleep on the couch and he didn't dare wake her up. And he surprised her with breakfast before Arya arrived.

"You like this girl," Arya concluded. "And don't bother trying to deny it, it's pretty obvious from the way you talk about her."

If it was possible, he could feel himself turning redder. "Don't tell anyone." He said as he finished his slider.

"I don't have to, they'll figure it out." Arya said, matter of factly. "And I think Wex already gave Theon a heads up about that."

He blinked. "What?"

"Don't stress about it." She said. "Just go hit the showers and put on the tux Mom got for you. And we'll continue talking about Meera in the road to Ironrath."

Just as his sister said it, Bran already knew his three elder brothers would interrogate him about it.


	3. Arya's Approval

**MEERA**

Last week, Meera had been hanging out with Brandon Stark, and so far, it was the highlight of her week.

At first, Meera thought she was only doing an interview for her article in the _Northern Herald_. But then, she ended up having coffee with Bran and he helped her, in a way, to get away from her boss, Tyrek Lannister, who according to her two colleagues might have a thing for her.

Tyrek had tried many times to ask her out, but Meera knew the red flags when he's about to ask the question. Mostly, it's the _what are you doing after work?_ pre-question, according to Lyra.

_Pre-question?_ She had asked.

_It's like the warm-up question before the actual will-you-go-out-with-me question._ Lyra explained. _And do not answer with _nothing much_ or _I'm free after work, She had warned. _Because if you do, he will ask you out and by then you'll be trapped. It's a guy's pattern and yes, I know because I went there_.

Meera had made up an excuse when Tyrek had asked her the pre-question saying that she had to go back home for the weekend to spend time with her parents. But no, she actually spent the weekend with Bran.

The original plan was that Bran and Meera herself were just going to eat at the _Cornucopia Food Park_ and then go to the poetry slam at the _Starkgrand Coffee_. What wasn't part of the plan were them watching movies at his place and her falling asleep on the couch. It led to other things not being part of a plan like, Bran cooking her breakfast, meeting his sister Arya and him driving her home.

All in all, Meera had enjoyed every second she spent with him. He was such a gentleman, not just to her, but to everyone else. She was never bored, except for like, the first few minutes of that Star Wars movie. And she always learned something from him. But as Bran dropped her off at her place that Sunday morning, she did the most ridiculous and embarrassing thing she could possibly do. She kissed him on his cheek before she could stop herself.

_What in seven hells, Meera!_ She mentally screamed at herself. _Now, you'll scare him off._ But instead of driving away immediately, he actually waited for her to get through the doors and waved goodbye with that dashing smile.

On the ride to the elevator up to her flat, Meera couldn't stop thinking about him. His auburn hair and curious blue eyes and his awkward stance. She found it totally adorable despite him being a string bean and four years younger than she was.

Meera found her brother, Jojen on the couch asleep. On his belly, there was an opened box of vegan pizza with three slices on it. And he was snoring like he'd fallen asleep watching _Nat Geo_ because the flatscreen was left on.

Naturally, she shook his foot to wake him up. "Hey!" She screamed.

Jojen woke up, startled. "What?" He said, then saw her frowning at him. "Oh, hi."

"You slept on the couch?" Meera said in disbelief. "Really?"

Growing up, Meera was an absolute neat-freak. She didn't want dirt on anything and she kept everything sanitized and clean. Not on the carpet or on the cushions of the couch, but Jojen did just that with pizza crumbles so, of course, she's kinda mad.

"You're getting mad at me?" Jojen asked as he got up and placed the pizza box on the coffee table. "Shouldn't I bring up that you obviously just got home? Huh?"

Meera crossed her arms. "What makes you think that?"

Jojen snorted. "Meera, I was on this couch watching Nat Geo before you even left last night," He reminded her. "And you hated it when I sleep on the couch. Now, if you actually went home last night or like at dawn, I know you would've woken me up and asked me to transfer to my room. But you didn't, which means: you just got here." He concluded. "And if I'm going to guess, you probably slept in some guy's shitty flat right after you had sex with him."

"I never slept with him." She defended. "I never slept with anyone."

"So you _were_ with a guy." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you went partying with Gwyn and Lyra on who-knows-where."

She frowned at him. "Who the fuck goes partying in a t-shirt and trousers?" She asked, gesturing to her clothes. "And for the record, Gwyn and Lyra aren't even in White Harbor. Gwyn's in Ironrath and Lyra's in Skagos." She said as she was started making her way to her room.

"So who's the guy?" Jojen asked.

"Why does that matter?"

Jojen shrugged. "So I know which guy to threaten."

"You're not threatening anyone." She insisted.

"Just answer the question."

Meera sighed. "It's Bran Stark."

His eyes widened. "You spent the night in the _Aquamarine_?" He pointed out. "And you tell me nothing happened?"

"Nothing _did_ happen." She reassured. "We went to a Poetry Slam in _Starkgrand Coffee_ and then went to his place to watch a movie." She explained as best as she could. "I fell asleep on the couch and woke up the next morning. Bran cooked me breakfast and drove me home."

"Oh, good." He said. "Might have to thank him for taking care of you while you were there."

The following day, Meera woke up to a notification from the _Greenwood Flats'_ Building Management saying she had mail. Of course, because the _Northern Herald_ always sends her a copy of the newspaper every morning. So naturally, the postmaster for her flat complex's mailroom sends her a notif that she's got mail. And it became her alarm clock every morning in many ways.

After she took a shower, cooked and ate breakfast and got ready for work, she headed to the mailroom and took out her mail, which was the _Northern Herald_ issue of the newspaper for the day. It was wrapped in clear plastic as always. And of course, the main headline was her article on Bran's victory on the Science Expo, _College Senior Emerges Triumphant in the Science Expo_, it said. And it had Bran's photo holding a trophy and a framed certificate.

Since it was wrapped, she ultimately decided to give it to Bran as a gift. She had posted a yellow sticky note on the plastic and wrote, _Here's your copy! :) — Meera_, on it. She had also bought a copy for herself in the nearest newsstand a block from _Greenwood Flats_ before driving to the _Aquamarine_ to have it delivered to him.

Meera walked into the building and was greeted by the doorman, Wex Pyke. And she instantly knew he recognized her.

Wex smiled and greeted. "Good morning, miss…" He faltered.

"Meera Reed." She introduced herself. "And you're Wex Pyke, right?"

"Yes," Wex nodded. "Hello, Ms. Reed. How may I help you?"

Meera sighed. "Wex, I'm going to ask you a simple favor." She had then shown him the wrapped newspaper. "Can you please personally deliver this to Brandon Stark?"

Wex took the wrapped newspaper and examined it suspiciously.

"It's only a newspaper with an article about him that I wrote." She explained. "It's nothing much."

Then Wex's eyes widened. "Oh, sh—hmm." He obviously was about to cuss but stop himself. "You're a journalist!" He acknowledged. "Gods, I thought you were sleeping with him—" He said before he stopped himself. "I think I've said too much, haven't I?"

She couldn't really blame him. It was almost stereotypical for people in college that if they brought someone with them past eleven at night, it means they're about to do the dirty. But it wasn't like that in hers and Bran's case.

Meera forced out a smile. "Yeah." She agreed.

"I'm deeply sorry Ms. Reed." Wex apologized. "I didn't mean to—"

She raised her hand, stopping him from talking. "It's okay. Let's just put that behind us."

"But you can count on me." Wex insisted. "I'll give this to him right now."

"Okay, I better head to work," Meera said as she turned her back on him. "I'll see you around, Wex. And thank you."

"Will do." He replied. "Have a great day, Ms. Reed."

Meera had then driven to work. Their office building had a cast metal logo and sign letters on its façade that said _The Northern Herald_, with it the words being underlined with a crest of a direwolf's head just below the letter E of the word _Northern_ and a silhouette of a man blowing on a herald's trumpet just beside the letter D on the _Herald_.

She rode the elevator up to her floor and pressed her finger on the biometric fingerprint time clock recorder which timed in her attendance at work before walking towards her workplace cubicle.

And just as Meera sat down on her swivel chair, her phone beeped, which meant someone had sent her a message. She smiled when she saw who it was from.

_Bran Stark; 07:46 _

_Hey, thanks for the copy ;)_

Then it had a photo of him holding the wrapped newspaper with the sticky note and he was all smiles.

Just then Gwyn Whitehill suddenly popped up from her cubicle and leaned on the divider. "Hi, Meera!" She greeted, with a more lively tone than usual that Meera nearly dropped her phone.

Meera jumped back. "Seven hells, Whitehill." She complained. "Are you okay? I think someone took more energy pills than usual."

Gwyn didn't mind the last part. "I'm fine." She replied. "Now, spill!" She urged.

Suddenly, Lyra popped up from her side of the cubicle. "Spill what, Gwyn?"

Besides being very close friends with Gwyn and Lyra, they are practically her neighbors in the workplace as well. Gwyn's cubicle was in the same row and aisle as Meera's. So if she just came from the elevators, she literally had to pass Gwyn's cubicle in the aisle before getting to hers. Lyra's cubicle was on a different row and aisle in the office, it's technically just abutting Meera's but she had to go to the end of the row of cubicles to get to Lyra's.

"Lyra, honey," Gwyn started to say. "Last Saturday before Asher and I drove to Ironrath for his sister's wedding, we saw Meera in the _Cornucopia Food Park_."

Lyra shrugged. "So?"

"With a guy." Gwyn finished.

Lyra's eyes widened and she gasped. "Seven fucking hells!" She exclaimed. "It's a miracle." She leaned in closer to her. "Meera, you have to tell us everything."

Meera snorted. "There's nothing much to tell."

"Yes, there is." Gwyn insisted.

"Wait, wait, who's the guy?" Lyra demanded.

Gwyn had then snatched the copy of the _Northern Herald_ on her table, the one she had bought in the newsstand earlier.

"It's this guy." She said, pointing on Bran's picture right below the headline.

At first, Lyra looked confused and frowned.

"Like literally the guy in the picture."

Lyra looked back and forth between Gwyn and the newspaper to see if she was kidding. "Bran Stark?"

"You know him?" Gwyn asked.

Lyra shrugged. "The Starks are our family friends." She explained. "I think my Mom and Ned Stark were in the same year in school as I was with the eldest Stark girl, Sansa."

Meera raised an eyebrow at her. "You're close friends with Sansa Stark?"

"I wouldn't say close friends, more like, acquaintances," Lyra said. "We acknowledged each other whenever we crossed paths. And I once went to their penthouse in the _Aquamarine_ for a group project we had to collaborate with two other girls." She added. "And I also know the younger Stark girl, Arya is in the same year as my younger sister Jorelle, while my youngest sister, Lyanna is in the same year as Bran in college."

"Wow, that's…a weird coincidence." Meera pointed out.

"Hold on," Gwyn raised her hand in a _stop-everything_ gesture, then turned to Lyra. "You've been to the _Aquamarine_? Is it that fancy in there?"

Lyra nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"You get greeted by a doorman once you enter the building," Meera brought up. "Everything is almost a tap from the tablet away, and the parking spaces are filled with luxury cars."

They both stared at her, surprised.

"You've been there?" Gwyn asked suspiciously. "Up in the penthouse?"

"Yeah, like last Saturday."

Gwyn and Lyra's eyes widened as they exchanged mortified looks.

"Oh my freakin' gods!" Gwyn exclaimed.

Lyra leaned in closer. "You slept with him?"

"What? No!" Meera shrieked. "Why the fuck does everybody think that? First, my brother and now even the doorman thinks I slept with Bran. Nothing happened between us." She clarified.

"Where did you go after the _Cornucopia_ then?" Gwyn asked.

"To _Starkgrand Coffee_," She answered. "They were hosting a _Poetry Slam_ and he took me there. Afterwards, we went to his place to watch movies." She explained. "And then, I fell asleep on his couch. I woke up the next morning to Bran cooking breakfast."

Lyra knitted her eyebrows. "You sure he didn't rufie you?"

"The only drinks we had were fruit sodas." She pointed out. "And I had my own bottle."

Lyra was about to say something, but Gwyn waved her hand at her and interrupted. "Oh, pshh." She turned back to her. "And then what happened?"

"We ate the breakfast he cooked," She recalled. "His sister, Arya arrived with Bran's tux for the Forrester-Tallhart wedding. I also think Arya thinks I slept with him as well. And then he drove me home."

"Aww," Gwyn smiled. "So he can cook, that's plus points!"

"But isn't he, like, four years younger than you?" Lyra asked. "And basically, the same age as your brother, Jojen."

"Lyra, what the fuck?" Gwyn snapped. "Since when did age matter? Bran is super nice. And besides, a great personality and attitude always topple pride and ego."

"I guess." Lyra shrugged. "But I agree, Bran is super nice."

Meera huffed. "Okay, why are we talking about Bran at this point?"

"Because," Gwyn put back the newspaper on Meera's desk. "Your lovelife is finally getting some color."

In the distance, one of the elevators opened and Meera saw their boss, Tyrek Lannister walking out in his usual suit and carrying his leather satchel.

"Can we just get back to work?" She suggested. "We don't wanna be caught by _Mr. Pride & Ego _when he sees us gossiping."

Gwyn and Lyra saw Tyrek approaching, which made them try to head back to their seats in their cubicles. But it was too late as Tyrek already saw them.

"Good morning, girls." Tyrek greeted.

"Good morning, sir."All three of them acknowledged before Gwyn and Lyra actually went back to their seats.

As usual, Tyrek stopped by and leaned on the divider of her cubicle. "So, Meera," He said. "How's the weekend with the folks?"

"I—it was great." She forced out a smile before turning around to turn on her PC.

"Cool." He nodded. "So, anyway, what are you doing after work?" He asked.

_Oh, gods_, she thought. _It's the pre-question._ But at the moment, she couldn't think of an excuse so she's kind of screwed.

"Well, I, um—" Meera started to say.

Suddenly, Gwyn popped up again from her cubicle. "We're going on a girls' night out."

Tyrek narrowed his eyes at Gwyn suspiciously. "On a Monday?"

"Actually," Lyra stood from her cubicle and spoke up. "It's my sister, Jorelle's birthday. She's kind of a feminist, so basically it's an all-girls party."

"Oh, well, don't drink too much, then," Tyrek said as he fixed his satchel from falling off his shoulder. "We still have work tomorrow."

As soon as Tyrek left, Meera heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the gods for you both," Meera said. "I'm seriously running out of excuses."

Gwyn gave Lyra a finger gun of approval. "Nice one, Lyra." Then she made a face at her. "But I thought Lyanna was the feminist among your sisters, not Jorelle."

"No, it really is Jorelle's birthday today." Lyra pointed out. "But it's not an actual all-girls party. I only said that so Mr. Pride & Ego wouldn't invite himself there. And yes, Lyanna is the feminist one, not Jorelle."

"A party on a Monday night?" Meera repeated. "I think Tyrek's got a point."

"Oh, come on, grandma," Lyra insisted. "Don't worry, I'll pick you up and Gwyn. And if you're worried about Jojen starving, you can ask him to come too."

"A party is a social event," She reminded her. "And my brother is anti-social. There's no way he's gonna come with us."

"Fine, just make sure he doesn't starve."

"Jojen's twenty-one, he can handle himself." Meera sighed. "Now, all I need to do is buy Jorelle a present."

"Hello?" Gwyn spoke up. "And an outfit too."

"You don't need to." Lyra said. "You just have to be there."

"You know," Meera turned to her. "I'd actually feel better if those words came from Jorelle herself."

"I know my sister," Lyra insisted. "She doesn't care about presents or what you wear. You just have to show up."

**BRAN**

His sister was right. Wex had indeed given Theon a heads up about Meera. And he and Robb basically interrogated him about it.

After Bran put on the tux their Mom had bought and him driving Arya's car as they head to Ironrath, his sister basically asked every question she had about Meera.

"By the way, you've mentioned that she works at the _Northern Herald_." Arya noticed. "So, technically, she's older than you, right?"

"Yeah," He confirmed. "I think she's about Robb's age since she had mentioned she graduated four years ago."

"What?" Arya blinked. "I can't tell that she's twenty-five. Holy shit! I thought we were the same age."

"It's the height." He explained. "She's from the Neck, that's understandable."

"But I like Meera," She pointed out. "She seemed nice and not snobby like many of Robb and Jon's ex-girlfriends."

That was true. Arya has this distinct feeling when meeting new people. She'll just take one look at them, observe their movements and be like, _no, I don't like her_. Robb got into an argument with her when he introduced his ex-girlfriend, Jeyne Westerling to the family during his freshmen year in college. _Arya, what are you talking about?_ Robb had said. But their sister just shrugged. _There's something about her. Something she hasn't shown yet._ Everyone simply brushed it off and told her she was crazy for assuming something. Lo and behold! Just two weeks after Arya had warned them, Jeyne's true colors came out. Jeyne turned out to have a jealousy streak and became paranoid everytime Robb talked to any girl on campus. And Robb broke up with her because of that. And Arya came back with an _I told you so_.

It was the same thing as Jon's ex-girlfriend, Valyrie. She was a daughter of some Navy Admiral in Eastwatch Harbor, whose name Bran had already forgotten. She was nice enough and seemed squeaky clean since she was always wearing white and her long blond hair braided across one shoulder to the point where if she and Jon stood side by side, Jon would look like her bodyguard. She also had this sneer that even Rickon is terrified of. When Arya met her, she was like, _Oh, seven hells, no! She's like a younger Cersei, I can't stand her_. And everyone in the family pretty much agreed with her.

As for their sister, Sansa, well, she held the record of having bad exes. One of the worst two was Joffrey Baratheon. And yes, she dated one of President Robert Baratheon's sons. Their parents approved of their relationship since the president was their Dad's childhood friend. But as it turned out Joffrey was more Lannister than Baratheon because he was arrogant and boastful. The second of the worst was Ramsay Bolton, his parents also approved of him because he was the son of Roose Bolton, one of their business partners. He was twice as worse as Joffrey and was sadistic and abusive. When Sansa broke up with him, he stalked her endlessly, to which he even climbed the gates of the Stark Manor and snuck into her room. And because of that, their parents had filed a restraining order against Ramsay. He was also the reason why their parents hired more staff and why their family had cut ties with the Boltons of the Dreadfort.

_What is wrong with you people?_ Arya had said about their siblings' past relationships. _Why do you keep attracting idiots, weirdos and snobs?_

But that was before Robb had met his fiancée Talisa Maegyr and Jon met Ygritte Giantsbane. Robb met Talisa, a girl from Volantis of the _United Free Cities_, when Theon broke his arm doing some parkour dare in a frat party when they were seniors in college. Talisa was a medical intern back then in the hospital in White Harbor where Theon was treated and it was Robb who tended to him.

Jon's current girlfriend, Ygritte Giantsbane, was also a daughter of a general their Uncle Benjen was friends with, Tormund Giantsbane. He met her when the Military's Black Operatives were briefed on taking out the notorious terrorist group, _Free Folk_ and their leader, Mance Rayder. Jon was with the assault troops and Ygritte was one of the snipers. She basically saved his life multiple times.

Sansa had stayed single since Ramsay, and Bran doesn't blame her. That guy was a psychopath. Theon never really had a girlfriend and considered himself a non-committal person, which meant he lived on one-night stands.

And Arya, well, like Sansa, she was also a guy magnet. But unlike Sansa, Arya finds a way for guys to stay away from her as she turned down every guy who's asked her out. Maybe she didn't want to suffer the same thing Sansa did.

As for Bran himself, he was clean. He had never experienced having to deal with dramas in relationships because he too focused on school work. He stayed away from parties as much as possible and always found a way to escape it whenever his roommate Beren dragged him into one. And their youngest brother, Rickon was too young or careless to even be in relationships.

And now that Arya said she liked Meera, was a huge compliment on Bran's part.

"So you're saying she's girlfriend material?" Bran asked as they drove on the Kingsroad.

Arya turned to him. "So you _are_ planning on asking her to be your girlfriend?"

Bran shrugged. "Well, um, not now." He admitted. "I think it's too early for that. And I don't wanna rush things and freak her out. I just wanna take it slow because I really do like Meera, a lot. She's one of a kind."

"Aww," Arya teased, poking his arm. "My little brother's in love."

To get to Ironrath, they have to get to Winterfell as it was the route they were familiar with. So Bran drove the car North in the Kingsroad to Winterfell, and then took the Wolfswood Drive westward heading to Deepwood Motte through the Wolfswood Forest, with the town of Ironrath located in the middle of the forest.

It took a while to get there. And the traffic on the Wolfswood Drive was not helping. Yes, it was traffic on a Sunday because apparently, a ten-wheeler truck doubled over when a deer was trying to cross the road, blocking two of the four lanes. Accidents that involve animals were pretty common in the Wolfswood Drive.

By the time they got to the Ironrath's godswood, it was already quiet outside the doors, which meant the guests were already inside.

"Has it started?" Bran asked.

"I don't think so," Arya replied. "I don't see the bridal car anywhere."

"What does that look like?"

"The bridal car," She explained like he was an idiot. "It's the bride's ride, the car with flowers on its hood and bumper. It's supposed to be parked by the doors of the godswood while the ceremony is going on." She pointed out. "Seeing that it's not there means the wedding hasn't started yet."

Bran heaved a sigh. "Thanks the gods."

"Just park the car." She insisted.

Bran found a slot and parked the car before he and Arya hurriedly ran towards the godswood's entrance only to find their parents waiting for them.

Their Dad, Ned was in a black suit, while their Mom, Catelyn was wearing a navy blue dress with ruffles on one shoulder.

"Oh, there they are." Ned said, pointing at them.

Catelyn sighed in relief. "What took you both so long?" She demanded.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Arya apologized, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "We don't control the traffic and it's certainly not our fault if a ten-wheeler decided to double over and block half the highway."

"Arya—" Their Mom started to say.

Bran was sure their mother would have scolded Arya for the tone she used.

"Alright," Ned interrupted. "Enough of this. Let's just go inside." He suggested as he pulled Arya with him.

"Hi, Mommy!" Bran greeted and gave his Mom a hug.

Yep, if his sister Arya was a daddy's girl, Bran himself was a Mama's boy. And he was closer to their Mom than any of their brothers were. Even Rickon.

"Oh, Brandon." His Mom kissed his cheek before they walked towards the godswood. "So, anything interesting happened last week?" She asked. "Are you done with your requirements for graduation?"

"I've finished editing my thesis," He reported. "And I'm having it book bounded tomorrow. As for the scaled model, it's the first thing I've worked on and I just finished that last week."

Catelyn smiled. "That's good." She said. "Time management is everything."

"Oh, also," Bran continued. "I was interviewed to be in an article for _the Northern Herald_ for the whole thing at the Science Expo."

His Mom gently cupped his chin. "That's my boy."

They got into the godswood and it was, of course, set up for a wedding. There were pews arranged in rows before the white Weirwood tree with a face carved on its trunk. And everyone was waiting for the bride.

Bran's other siblings were already sitting on one row of the pews. Robb and Theon were inseparable as always and Sansa was fixing Rickon's hair. He also noticed Jon's absence.

"Where's Jon?" He asked his mother.

"Oh, when your Dad tried to call," Catelyn explained. "Your Uncle Benjen answered saying Jon was scheduled to do something. You know, black op stuff."

He only nodded in response. It was sort of, typical because of coming off at the top of his class, they gave him the medal of honor and a place in the Armed Forces. And he's usually leading assault troops on black operations, either buy-and-bust, drug raids or assassinating terrorists.

Rickon was the first to see him. "Bran!" He squealed, then tackled him.

"Oof!" Bran clapped his brother's back. "I miss you too, Lil' bro."

"Hi, little brother." Sansa greeted, then kissed him on his cheek. "Great to see you."

"Hey, little brother!" Robb grinned as he gave him a side hug.

"Alright," Their Mom scolded. "You can talk later. The wedding is about to start."

Their Dad sat on the edge of the pew near the aisle with their Mom right beside him. His two sisters followed and then Rickon, Bran himself, and Robb and Theon on the other end of the pew.

As Mira Forrester walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father, Theon leaned in closer to him.

"Hey, Bran," Theon called. "Wex told me about the girl."

_Godsdammit!_ Bran mentally cursed. _Here we go._

Robb cleared his throat and placed an arm around Bran's shoulder. "We have a lot to talk about later." He whispered.

The wedding reception was held at an outdoor events center called the _Ironwood Groves_. And sure enough, right after they ate dinner and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves at the party, his brothers lived up to their promises.

Robb and Theon cornered him while he was getting himself a bowl of punch from the buffet table. They literally blocked his way with them standing beside each other and crossing their arms across their chests.

"So, let's get this over with," Robb said, with a wide grin on his face. "Shall we?"

Bran huffed in annoyance. "Really? Now?" He said in disbelief. "We're in the middle of a wedding reception."

Theon shrugged. "You're going back to White Harbor tonight." He pointed out. "We won't have other chances to interrogate you."

They then both each put an arm around him, which was kinda awkward since Bran was taller than both of them.

"So," Theon started. "Is she pretty, Bran?" He asked.

Robb looked offended. "What kind of a question is that?" He demanded. "Of course, the girl's pretty. We, Starks, have good taste." He said, matter of factly.

"Oh, yeah," Theon agreed. "When it comes to looks, it's an eleven out of ten, dude. But personality-wise," He gave a thumbs down.

Robb furrowed his brows. "Hey, Talisa has a great personality."

"I meant all the others before Talisa." Theon said, then turned to him. "Anyways, did you slept with her?"

"No!" Bran said loudly than he intended. "I never slept with her."

"Then what did you do all night?" Robb asked.

Bran sighed. "We watched a movie and she fell asleep on the couch." He explained.

Theon raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't slither in to cuddle?"

"No." He protested. "Isn't that, like assault?"

Robb placed a hand on his chin. "Whatever, but Wex said she never came down until morning." He recalled. "And Mom had Arya bring your tux and pick you up—"

"Wait, so Arya met her?" Theon asked.

"Yeah," Bran confirmed. "She walked in on us eating breakfast."

"Cool!" Theon beamed. "Now, we need Arya's opinion."

"What?" Robb exclaimed. "Why?"

"Because she had been right about all of yours, Jon's and Sansa's exes the whole time." Theon brought up.

They scanned the area for Arya and they spotted her chatting with the Mormont sisters, Alysane and Jorelle.

Robb pondered for a moment, then grabbed Bran's arm. "Okay, let's get Arya."

"Why do I have to come with you?" Bran asked, clutching the bowl of punch in his hand.

"Because you might get away and hide somewhere." Robb said before dragging him towards where their sister was standing. "Now, come on."

Robb and Theon deliberately dragged him between them, as they approached the girls.

"Hello, ladies." Theon greeted.

Arya groaned. "Theon, they have no time to flirt with you." She said. "Now, please, get lost."

"We're not here to flirt," Theon insisted, then smiled. "Although, I'm—"

"Theon!" Robb scolded, smacking him on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Theon complained. "What?"

"Focus." Robb reminded him, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Aly, Jory, but if I may, I'd like to borrow my sister for a moment? It's a family matter."

"Couldn't this wait until we get home?" Arya asked.

Robb shook his head. "No, it can't wait."

Suddenly, Gwyn Whitehill came to them and handed Alysane and Jorelle cocktail drinks. "Here you go, girls." She said, then saw Bran and waved at him. "Oh, hi, Bran."

Bran tried to remember why Gwyn was there, and it took him a second to realize that her boyfriend, Asher was the bride's brother.

Alysane spoke up pointing between him and Gwyn. "You two know each other?" She asked.

"Well, not really," Gwyn admitted. "I only met him yesterday. He was having dinner with Meera at this new food park in White Harbor."

"Meera?" Robb repeated, then turned to him with a smirk. "Is that the girl?"

"Yes!" A voice answered from behind them.

They turned to see and saw that it was Beren Tallhart walking by with the bride's sister, Talia Forrester.

Bran glared daggers at him like, _what the fuck, man?!_

But Beren only smiled, gave him a finger gun. "You're welcome." He said.

"Ooh!" Theon said, then gave Robb a high five.

At that point, Bran wanted to run and hide from embarrassment.

Robb turned back to the girls and frowned at Gwyn. "Wait, so you're Asher's girlfriend, right?" He said. "How do you know Meera and the Mormonts?"

"Oh, Gwyn is Lyra's colleague," Jorelle explained. "They're journalists in _The Northern Herald_."

"And Meera, as well." Gwyn added.

"Wow, it's a small world." Arya brought up.

"Anyways, Arya, baby sis," Robb called, then motioned his head to follow them.

"Don't fucking call me that!" Arya grunted.

Jorelle patted Arya's shoulder. "Dacey does that to all of us too. Lyanna hates it the most." She assured. "I think it's an eldest sibling thing."

"Yeah, it is." Robb confirmed, then gestured for Arya to follow them. "Now, come on." He insisted.

"Tomorrow night, Arya," Jorelle called out. "Don't forget."

"Gotcha." Arya replied.

Now, Robb and Theon were dragging Bran and Arya to a corner.

"What the fuck is this about now?" Arya demanded.

"Arya, you went to White Harbor this morning to pick up Bran, right?" Robb recalled.

Arya shrugged. "Yes."

"So you've met Meera?"

"Yes," She admitted.

"And?" Robb and Theon said in unison.

Arya frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Theon raised an eyebrow at her. "You know why," He said. "After you were right about all of your siblings' exes, I've learned to take your opinions seriously."

"Hmm, good." Arya crossed her arms. "And everyone keeps telling me I'm crazy." She seemed to have only noticed that Robb and Theon were holding Bran on both his wrists. "By the way, why are you holding Bran like he's a hostage?"

"Really?" Bran blurted out. "You're only seeing this now? Help me escape." He pleaded. "Rickon might've done it, but I don't know where in Seven hells he went."

"Just tell us your thoughts about Meera." Robb insisted. "Is she nice? Is she snobby?"

"Well, yes and no." She revealed. "She isn't snobby like all your ex-girlfriends. She's really nice and friendly. I like her."

Robb waited. "That's it?" He asked. "No, _I have a bad feeling_ or _there's something about her?_ Nothing?"

Arya shook her head. "Nope, she doesn't give off that vibe. But—"

"What?" Bran interjected. "What do you mean _but_? I thought you said you like her."

"Yeah," Robb nodded. "Everything said before the word _but_ is horseshit. What do you mean, baby sis?"

"I do like her, she's nice," Arya assured. "But there's something…I can't explain it. It's more on like about her family against our family kinda thing. I mean, we're Northerners. And it's like we've never heard of them. But then again, they're from the Neck."

"Oh, Crannogmen," Robb realized. "Well, that explains it." He released his hold on him, and so did Theon. "You're free to go, little brother."

Bran sighed in relief. "Thank you." He said, fixing his sleeves.

"But you need to introduce her to us," Robb suggested, then patted his shoulder and smiled. "I'm just glad my little brother finally has a girlfriend."

Suddenly Rickon appeared beside him. "Bran has a girlfriend?!" He repeated in bewilderment. "Ooh—fft."

Bran covered his brother's mouth with his hand. "She is not my girlfriend!" He corrected.

_Well, at least not yet._ Bran thought but did not dare say it out loud.

Robb ruffled Rickon's hair. "One of these days, baby brother," He said. "You'll find a girl worthy to be called your girlfriend. Just like Bran did."

"Wait, what?" Sansa gasped from behind them. "Did you just say _girlfriend_?" She squealed and put her arms around him. "Oh my gods, Bran!" She said. "Aww, our little brother is growing up." And then she started ranting, as she always does when she's excited. "But we have to make sure that this girl isn't controlling or snobby or abusive—"

"Sansa," Arya interrupted. "I've met her. She isn't." She assured.

Sansa nodded. "Oh, good. But when do the rest of us get to meet her?" She asked.

"I don't know," Bran admitted. "She isn't my girlfriend yet—" He blurted out before he could stop himself. "Fuck." He cussed as he looked down from embarrassment.

Robb and Theon cheered and gave each other high-fives. Rickon was giving him a thumbs up, Sansa squealed giddily as she clapped her hands while Arya gave him a wicked smirk.

"Oh, yeah, man!" Theon beamed. "I knew it!"

"Just so you know, Bran," Robb said. "If you need any brotherly advice, I'm right here." He offered.

Arya snorted. "The funny thing is, I don't need to sell you out," She said. "You're perfectly capable of doing that yourself."

"Arya, you're not helping!" Sansa scolded. "We're family. We're supposed to be helping one another, not letting each other down."

Arya's annoying smirk turned into a deathly glare. "Speak for yourself."

Bran exchanged looks with his brothers. Yep, they knew their sisters too well and they also knew it was gonna start an argument right then and there.

"Okay," Robb spoke up, stepping between them.

They already know the drill. Bran made his way to Arya's side, ready to pull her back in case she lunges for an attack. Rickon was already gripping Sansa's arm.

Usually, it's Bran and Jon on Arya's side and Robb and Rickon on Sansa's. Theon went to whoever needs the most muscle and mostly he's helping Bran restrain Arya because she's the most physically aggressive one.

"We're in the middle of a wedding party." Robb reminded them. "Definitely not a place to squabble. And our family name will be on the line here."

Luckily, they made it out of the party alive, and both his sisters came out with not a scratch on them.

Before getting back to White Harbor, Bran went with his family in their home in Winterfell so he could see his pet dog, Summer.

In their family, Bran wasn't the only one who had a dog, each of his siblings also has one. So there were basically six dogs in their family home.

It was Robb and Jon who found the dogs as pups by accident five years ago. One summer, they were once tasked by their Dad to inspect on the grounds of the Stark Estate together with Bran himself, their foster brother, Theon and with some of their staff.

Normally, they'd often see wild animals northwest of their grounds as the _Wolf Pines National Park_ was literally right over the fence. But seeing a dead one wasn't.

The _Wolf Pines_ _National Park_ was bordered by two cities namely: Winterfell and Deepwood Motte; two towns: Ironrath and Highpoint; and the _Northern Mountain Range_. And since the Stark Estate was on Winterfell's countryside, yes, they literally bordered the Wolf Pines.

His brothers had found the animal carcass just outside the tree line. It must've jumped over the fence before dying. They all assumed it was a wolf, and it had a stag's antler sticking out from its neck.

Since the Wolfswood Forest—it's part of the _Wolf Pines National Park_— is a coniferous type forest, which meant deers, bears, foxes, and wolves—especially wolves, are commonly seen in it.

And even though the dead animal smelled horrible, Robb approached the dead animal when they saw five pups wandering not far from it. He even took and cradled one in his arms.

_Dude, what are you doing?_ Theon had shrieked. _That thing is dangerous. Put it down._

_But it's so cute. _Robb answered, caressing its hide.

As Theon ran back to the Manor for a warning, Robb was able to convince Bran to stroke the pup's head. And not long after, Bran was already holding a pup himself.

Theon came back with their Dad and a few of their staff: Jory Cassel, their head of security; Hullen, one of their two chauffeurs; Farlen, the man who takes care of their livestock; and Vayon Poole, their butler.

Their Dad examined the carcass, then pulled out the antler from the animal's neck. _This one may have been preying a stag for her pups in the Wolf Pines._ He had said. _Instead, she got horned._

_I think you mean 'antlered', Dad. _Robb chuckled.

_Where would the pups go?_ Bran had asked. _Their mother's dead._

_Hey, Dad, can we keep them?_ Robb suggested.

Theon frowned at him. _You can't keep a wolf as a pet. I don't think it's even legal._

_Oh, I know a wolf when I see one_, Farlen had spoken up. _That ain't a wolf, just a large dog. Probably a wild one too. Who knows._

Their Dad thought for a while before giving out orders on what to do next. _Jory, have your men help Farlen put this away,_ Ned had said. _Vayon, please inform the head park ranger of the Wolf Pines about a dead animal in our grounds._ _Hullen, have the car ready._ He then turned to them. _Boys, grab all five pups. We're taking them to a Vet._

Robb grabbed another pup and handed both pups in his arms to Theon before taking another two in his arms. But just as they were about to leave, they heard a small whine so Jon looked back and walked towards a few protruding roots of the tree where the dead wolf was found.

Jon gasped then bent down and took out a sixth pup hiding under the protruding roots. _Uncle Ned,_ he called. _There's a sixth pup._

_Ooh,_ Theon said without enthusiasm. _There's one for each of you now._

_You don't want a puppy?_ Robb asked.

_Nah, I'm not really good with dogs._ Theon had admitted. _And I'm not a Stark._

In the Vet, they confirmed that the pups were indeed dogs and not wolves. And a breed test was performed on them to determine the make-up of the breeds.

When the results came out, the dogs are actually a mixed breed of a quarter Skagosi Malamute and three-quarters Flint Husky. And those breeds fall in the few names of large wild dog breeds and they are similar-looking to and are often mistaken as wolves.

The Skagosi Malamute breed originated from Skagos Island a.k.a. Cannibal Island. They were bred for their strength and endurance to haul heavy freight. While the Flint Husky breed was first bred by the Flint Tribe of the Northern Mountain Clans for sled-pulling, guarding and companionship in the extremely cold and harsh environment of the North.

Their Dad agreed for them to adopt the pups on a condition that they will train and feed it themselves without having to rely on their staff about it, to which they all agreed. And there was nothing more annoying than Robb petting his pup and using a _Who's-a-good-boy?Yes-you-are_ in baby voice on the car ride home.

Their sisters were both thrilled about the pups and even then twelve-year-old Rickon jumped up and down in excitement about it.

And now, the _Malaskies_ or _Huskamutes_, as Rickon called them, are six-year-olds and still growing.

Bran sat on the shotgun of Arya's car as she drove to Winterfell. Just as they entered the gates, they could hear the dogs barking through the closed windows of the car.

"How is Summer?" He asked his sister.

"He's good," Arya assured. "Robb walks him and Grey Wind on the grounds in the mornings. Or sometimes I do it with Nymeria. Because Sansa had her own girly stuff with Lady and Rickon…who are we kidding, you know him, and he mostly sleeps in on mornings. But he does play with Summer and Shaggy altogether. "

"I want to bring him to White Harbor with me." He disclosed.

"They won't allow you to." She argued. "The same way they declined Robb, Sansa and me when we pleaded. For the most part, it's because we're not often in the penthouse. And also, I think Mom and Dad are afraid that the dogs are gonna trash the place."

"You guys weren't, but I am." Bran stated. "I never go partying on the weekends or just going out and socializing. I'm mostly in the penthouse. And since it's two weeks into graduation, I don't have to go to UWH that often because I've had my requirements under control."

"So you're gonna take him with you when you go on dates with Meera too?" She asked, smirking.

Bran could feel himself blushing. "This has nothing to do with Meera." He said. "I just want a companion in the penthouse when Beren goes partying."

Arya raised one hand in surrender. "Okay, but seriously, I have no hope with Mom and Dad agreeing to even let Summer go with you. Especially since, you're the only one, besides Jon who's not living here at the moment. A lot of people can take care of him, present company excluded."

That was true enough. After Robb graduated, he moved back to Stark Manor, because being the eldest, he'll eventually inherit the whole estate when their parents will pass and he currently runs their family business now. Jon was living with their Uncle Benjen in the military housing up North. Theon had moved out of Stark Manor after graduating and was now living in a flat in downtown Winterfell. Sansa had to move back home because their parents fear that she might not be safe living on her own even with a restraining order filed against her stalker ex-boyfriend Ramsay Bolton. And both Sansa and Theon worked in their family company, the _Stark Industries_.

As for Arya, well, she had always been the rebel in the family. She had been in Braavos doing her apprenticeship before taking the board exams and passing it. Now, she's currently unemployed and waiting for Bran to graduate so they can start a firm together as partners in the construction industry, and he thought their parents didn't trust her living alone at the moment especially with her being stubborn and reckless, so technically, she moved back home as well.

And as for their youngest brother, Rickon, he's kinda like Arya, stubborn and reckless. But you can't really blame him since he's ADHD.

As their butler Vayon Poole opened the main doors of their house, the dogs came running out to greet them. His dog, Summer literally tackled Bran, which almost knocked him to the ground. Summer was wagging his tail wildly in excitement and was licking his face.

"Alright, alright," Bran giggled as he stroke Summer's hide. "I miss you too, buddy."

He named his _Huskamute_ Summer, because, well, they found and adopted them in summer. And also, it took him two weeks to name him that. Robb named his, Grey Wind because _he runs like the wind_, he had said. Jon's was Ghost because his dog was the quietest on among the pack. Sansa named hers, Lady because she was well-behaved and obedient. Arya's was Nymeria, named after a southern warrior-queen she idolized. And Bran had no idea why Rickon named his dog, Shaggy.

It took a lot of convincing but their parents finally agreed to bring Summer. Arya had changed her clothes, then had Nymeria on a leash harness on one hand and the other hand on a strap of the backpack slung on her shoulder.

"Whoa!" Bran frowned at Arya, then crossed his arms. "Why do you have a backpack with you?"

Arya shrugged. "I'm staying the night in White Harbor."

"Why?"

"Because I'll be too tired to drive back here." She reasoned. "And I've got something to do tomorrow. Something the Mormonts asked me to do."

"But you're bringing Nymeria with you."

"You're bringing Summer, it's not fair that only you get to have a cuddle buddy." She said. "And don't worry, I had one of Jory's men carry five kilos of dog food in my trunk, and their feeders as well."

Their Mom and Dad went to see them off before leaving.

"Just make sure those dogs will not trash the penthouse," Catelyn warned. "Or I'm having Jory take the dogs from you."

"Mom, Jon had them trained in Castle Black when we were in college, remember?" Arya reminded her. "They're gonna be fine."

"Also, Arya, do not drive over the speed limit on the Kingsroad again." Ned said.

"Daddy, I've never even gotten a ticket." Arya argued.

"Yet," Bran finished. "Just because no one saw you once, doesn't mean no one will see you again."

Arya glared at him. "You're not helping."

Arya drove her own car with Nymeria curled up on the shotgun seat, so naturally, Bran was in the backseat with Summer. They arrived at the _Aquamarine_ at around eleven at night.

At that point, all Bran cared about was getting some sleep. He was too tired from everything that happened that day, especially since he slept at two in the morning on the armchair recliner. His initial plan after driving Meera back to her place, and before even Arya arrived with his tux earlier that morning, was to go back to sleep on the soft king-sized bed in his bedroom. But no, he was forced to attend a wedding of one of their family business partners' children.

He didn't even care when Wex asked why Meera wasn't currently with him and just gave out a snort when Summer gave the doorman a warning bark.

Bran was going to head directly to his room, but then remembered Arya was with him.

"I'll sleep on the couch," Arya suggested. "But I'll need a few of your pillows and a blanket."

"No, no, you take my bed." He insisted.

"But where are you going to sleep?"

"It's a king size pull-out type, so, of course, there's a spare bed underneath." He reminded her. "I'll sleep in that."

"But—"

"Oh, come on, Arya," Bran huffed. "Honestly, I'd like you in your old room, but I'm too tired to even pull the mattress down and put sheets on it. So just take the bed, I'll be on the pull out." He gestured for Summer to follow him. "Come on, buddy."

Arya shrugged. "Alright, then." She replied. "I need another drink before going to sleep."

Bran stopped at his tracks halfway up the stairs and stared at her. "You've had enough wine."

"I meant like a juice or something."

"Oh, I think there's some on the fridge." He offered. "I had milk and juice boxes in there. But Beren used all the milk to cure his hangover." He said as he continued making his way upstairs.

"What?"

"It's a long story." He explained. "And you don't wanna know."

Bran had then changed into his pj's before pulling the pull-over mattress under the king-sized bed. He grabbed three pillows from the main bed, two for himself and one for Summer, who likes to sleep by his feet on the bed.

"Goodnight, buddy." Bran gently patted Summer's hide before lying down on the spare bed. He fell asleep instantly as soon as he placed his head on a pillow.

He woke up the next morning to his sister Arya repeatedly hitting him with a pillow. "Wakey, wakey!" She said. "You still got school so GET THE FUCK UP!"

Bran sat bolt upright. "What the fuck, Arya?" From then on he had declared his sister a much worse alarm clock than their own mother.

"Good morning to you, too." She said as she drew the curtains.

He scanned the room for Summer but he was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Summer?" He demanded.

"I took him and Nymeria out in the pool area for fresh air." Arya threw him the pillow she had hit him earlier. "I cooked breakfast. Now, get up or you'll be late." She said before leaving the room.

Bran got up and fixed the bed before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. Afterwards, he got dressed in his typical go-to outfit, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and sneakers, before going downstairs for breakfast.

Arya had just opened the doors to the pool area with a pack of dog food in her hands and whistled for the dogs to come in. "Here you go, guys." She said as she filled their feeders with dog food, then saw Bran walking towards the kitchen. "Oh, hey, your breakfast is on the counter."

He proceeded to go to the kitchen and saw the food on the island counter. It had a plate of freshly-cooked omelette and another plate with a stack of pancakes. Also, not far from it were the ingredients: flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, butter, cheese, onions, maple syrup, etc.; and the cutlery used: knives, whisk, measuring spoons and the like.

Bran sat down on one of the barstools and stared at the plate with the omelette suspiciously and bent down to examine it.

"Still think I'm trying to poison you?" Arya asked as she grabbed the used utensils and placed them in the dishwasher.

"You can't blame me," He insisted as he sliced his omelette with his fork. "The last time you cooked an omelette, our other brothers and I raced to the toilets because you put laxatives in it."

Yep, Arya did that last spring break as pulled the ultimate April Fools prank on them. She got up early to cook breakfast and added laxative powder in the omelette to which Robb, Jon, Theon, Rickon, and Bran himself all ate. After eating, they all raced towards the bathroom to take a dump. Luckily for them, Stark Manor had more than one bathroom. And it was the same way Arya had placed a green dye in Sansa's shampoo bottle, whose screams were heard in the entire house and she came out of her bathroom with green hair and a murderous look on her face.

Her only punishment was that she had to help their gardeners prune the shrubs and the hedged maze in their grounds for the next three days, which was totally not fair for them. _Because pruning was like sculpting_, Arya had said and it definitely fell in her list of recreation activities as an artist.

Arya sighed. "It was a prank meant for Robb, Jon, and Theon." She explained. "I didn't know you're actually gonna eat some when they offered you and Rickon."

Bran started eating his omelette. "Hmm, it's actually good." He said between bites.

"Of course, it's fucking good." She insisted. "You don't have to sound surprised."

He simply rolled his eyes before getting his hands on the plate of stacked pancakes, but Arya slapped his hand.

"Hey!" Arya complained. "Do _not_ touch the pancakes! These are mine." She said, then pointed to the pancake maker, which cooks six pancakes at a time. "Yours is still cooking."

"You have got to be kidding me."

As if right on cue, the pancake maker's timer started beeping so Arya took the pancakes and placed them onto another plate. She made a show by stacking all six pancakes, putting butter and maple syrup before sliding the plate to him.

"Thanks." He said as he finished off his omelette and moved on the pancakes.

It was also the same time Summer came to him, sat by his feet looking up at him. He gave him the puppy-dog eyes and whimpered, like _Are those pancakes? I want pancakes, please_.

"Buddy, you just ate." He reminded him.

Summer literally picked up his feeder with his mouth and placed it before Bran. _Wow, these dogs are smarter than they let on_, he thought.

Bran sighed, then turned to Arya across the island counter, who was eating her stack of pancakes. "Are they safe to eat pancakes?" He asked.

"I didn't add chocolate or raisin to it," She assured. "So, it's fine."

He took two pancakes from the stack and placed them on Summer's feeder, to which he munched down immediately.

As Bran finished his stack of pancakes, a knock from the door surprised them.

Bran turned to Arya to make sure if she also heard, and she was just as confused as he was. _That's weird_, he thought. They seldom get visitors. And whenever they had visitors like family members, the doorman, Wex Pyke would inform them before letting them up to the penthouse.

Without warning, Bran went for the doors, opened them and saw Wex Pyke grinning at him. He found odd for Wex to come knocking at their door early in the morning since he usually just call.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Wex greeted. "Sorry if I interrupted your morning routine," He apologized. "But I was asked to give this to you." He handed him a piece of rolled paper wrapped in transparent plastic.

"What's this?" Bran asked as he took it from Wex.

"She said I should personally give it to you." Wex explained.

Bran's eyes widened then he examined the package. It was a _Northern Herald_ newspaper. He knew instantly that it was Meera who sent it and he smiled before turning back to Wex. "Thanks, Wex."

And with that Wex went back to the elevator as Bran closed the doors.

Knowing that Meera had sent him a copy of the _Northern Herald_ definitely made his day. As he tore the plastic wrap open, Bran noticed that there was a yellow sticky note with a hand-written note that said, _Here's your copy! :) — Meera_, on it.

Bran smiled wide as he uncovered the newspaper. The article about him was the main headline. _College Senior Emerges Triumphant in the Science Expo_, it read. And beneath it was Meera's name. And it had Bran's photo holding a trophy and a framed certificate.

"What are you smiling about?" Arya asked as she sat on one of the couches in the living room with Nymeria and Summer on her tail.

He showed her the newspaper. "It's out." He announced. "And Meera sent me a copy."

Arya gasped, stood and snatched the newspaper from him and read the contents. "I'm sending this to the group chat."

Before he got argue to oppose, Arya took her phone from her pocket, took a snapshot of the newspaper and proceeded to send it to their group chat.

Yes, he and his siblings had a group chat, the _Stark Pack_. And it includes Jon and Theon as well. It's mostly where they vent, ask advice or ask for help in instances that their parents didn't have to be involved. They also had the most ridiculous nicknames on it. Robb was the _Alpha Wolf_, because he was the eldest; Jon was the _Warrior Wolf_, since he was in the military; Theon was _Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken_; Sansa's nickname was the _Ginger Wolf_, because she had a lighter shade of red hair than Robb, Rickon, and Bran himself; Arya was the _Rebel Wolf_, which was pretty much self-explanatory; Bran was the _Winged Wolf_. Because he used to be a climber and was often on high places and surprised the shit out of everyone; and Rickon was the _Wild Wolf_, because of his ADHD—and sometimes Robb likes to add _baby_ before the word _wild_ just to mess with him.

A notif displayed from his phone that confirmed that Arya did send a pic on their group chat. Robb and Sansa were the first to react and congratulated him.

Bran went upstairs to his room to get his backpack and his final drafts ready for bookbinding and he came downstairs just in time when Beren Tallhart entered the penthouse. And of course, the dogs came to greet him.

"Oh, fuck!" Beren shrieked when he saw the dogs. And he nearly dropped the small box in his hands.

Arya burst out laughing. "Calm down, Tallhart Number Four," She assured. "They aren't gonna chew off your limbs."

"That's not exactly making me feel better." Beren said, clearly panicking at the sight of Summer and Nymeria growling at him.

"Summer, Nymeria, it's just Beren," Bran said. "He's a friend. Now, heel." He ordered.

Sure enough, the two dogs stop growling and started wagging their tails and nuzzling their snouts on Beren's legs.

Beren sighed in relief as he knelt down and patted their heads. "You know, for large dogs, they're still adorable."

"Of course, they are," Arya spoke up. "As long as you don't piss them off."

Beren stood and nodded in Arya's direction. "What's up, Stark A." He said. "I figured you were here. I saw your car in the podium parking."

Arya whistled, prompting Nymeria to climb next to her on the couch. "Mm-hmm," She said as she stroke Nymeria's hide. "Also, you need to replace all the milk you consumed that I could've used to make waffles today."

Beren held up the small box in his hands. "This is the milk." He informed as he placed the box on the console table and sat on the floor petting Summer.

"Anyways," Bran spoke up as he shouldered his backpack. "I have to get to class." He turned to Beren. "Don't you have classes today?"

"Of course, I have," Beren replied, still petting Summer on the foyer. "It's on an eight-thirty. I came here to take a shower and get ready, but your dog's distracting me."

Arya turned to Bran. "Hey, what time do you get off from your last class?" She asked. "Three o'clock?" She guessed.

"It's Monday." He reminded him. "So, it's four-thirty."

"Okay, then," Arya smirked. The smirk Bran often saw when she was up to something. "See 'ya later, little brother."

Bran stroke Summer's hide, bidding him goodbye before heading out the penthouse. He usually walked to UWH, which is just several blocks away from the _Aquamarine_. And he only rode his car when it was raining or snowing and/or he was bringing something to school that he won't be able to carry by just walking.

Before heading to his first class, Bran took a selfie with the Northern Herald newspaper with his article and sent it to Meera with a thank you.

Technically, there aren't proper classes anymore because finals week was over. And they only had to go to their classes for attendance and final completion of projects. So, mostly their professors were doing their final GPAs or chatting with them to pass the time. Also, he mostly got compliments and claps on his back for making the as the main headline of the _Northern Herald_ that day. Bran also had his final drafts of his thesis book bounded during his two-hour free period after lunch.

As they were dismissed from his last class, Bran walked out of the school building intending to stop at _Starkgrand Coffee_ to order his usual and probably send Meera a text if he could call.

But of course, none of that happened. Because just as he crossed the main quad, a voice called out from one of the parking lots.

"Bran!" Someone called.

He turned and was mortified to see his sister Arya waving at him.

"Come on," She instructed. "Get in."

"What?" Bran remained where he was. "What are you doing here?" He demanded. "And how did you even get on campus?"

"I came for you, obviously." Arya huffed. "And I'm an alumna so of course, they're gonna have to let me in. Now, get in the fucking car." She insisted.

Bran didn't have much choice, so he did. At first, he expected the dogs to be in the backseat, but they weren't and he began to panic.

"Where are the dogs?" He asked. "Why aren't they with you?"

"Relax, okay," Arya assured. "They're gonna be fine."

"You left them at the penthouse by themselves?" He shrieked. "Are you fucking kidding me? That's one of the things Mom told us exactly not to do."

"Jeez, you're starting to sound like her too." She said as she drove out of the campus. "The dogs are trained in _Castle Black_, no less, so you have nothing to worry about."

Just as Bran was about to relax and not worry about it, Arya surprised him again by making the wrong turn to their penthouse.

"Uh, where are we going?" Bran asked. "The _Aquamarine_ is that way." He reminded her as he pointed to their left.

"I know where I'm going." Arya insisted. "And chill! You're going with me to the _Brightroar Plaza Mall_. I'm gonna grab a few stuff."

Bran groaned. "You could've just dropped me off at the _Aquamarine_ and then drive there. Or you could just buy it in the _Pearl Supermarket_. It's a lot cheaper than going to the mall."

"That'll cost me extra gas," She reasoned. "And besides, I need your help with this. Also, we won't find it in the supermarket."

Arya parked the car in Brightroar Plaza Mall's large parking lot. Bran placed his stuff in the backseat before getting out of the car.

The _Brightroar_ is a mall chain owned by the Lannister family. And each one in every city in Westeros that a Brightroar mall stood had a different name. For example, in Winterfell, the branch there was called _Brightroar Town Centre_ and in Highgarden in the Reach, it's called _Brightroar Terraces_.

When they got out of the car, it was only then, did Bran noticed his sister's outfit that screamed #ootd.

Arya wore a black sleeveless collared blouse tucked into a checkered red and black short tight skirt, dark brown knee-high socks and black leather boots.

"Whoa, hold it!" Bran stopped her. "What are you wearing?" He asked.

Arya frowned at him. "Since when the fuck did you care about the clothes that I wear?"

"We're in the mall." He reminded him. "And you look like you're going to a party."

"I am," Arya confirmed. "Well, later. And right now," She checked her wristwatch. "We have an hour and thirty minutes, so let's pick up the pace."

Bran was puzzled when Arya led in the mall's department store and he definitely raised his eyebrows when she pulled him over to the Men's wear.

"Arya, seriously, what are we doing here?" He asked. "I thought you were gonna grab a few stuff."

"Well, sort of." She said absent-mindedly as she browsed through a rack of plain buttoned-down shirts, then turned to him. "Hey, can you pick two colors? That'll make it easy for me."

"Why?"

"Just pick two fucking colors!" She insisted.

"Um, blue and green." He blurted out.

"Blue and green," Arya muttered as she continued browsing. "Blue and green, blue and green, blue and green….ah! Here we go." She pulled one hanger with a baby blue-buttoned down shirt and another with a mint green one and raised them up on either side of him. "Hmm."

"Uh, what are you doing?" He asked.

"The green one makes your hair redder and you hate that." Arya pointed out. "But the blue one makes your eyes pop. Perfect." She returned the mint green one on the shelf before walking towards a rack of vests and started matching the blue shirt she was holding to each vest until she found a color that went with it.

"Great!" Arya exclaimed then handed both the shirt and the vest to him. "Now, put it on."

"What?"

"You heard me." She said. "Put it on."

"I'm not putting these on until you explain to me what in seven hells is going on." Bran demanded. "And why are you suddenly buying me clothes?"

"Fine," She took a deep breath before speaking again. "It's Jorelle Mormont's birthday and she invited me yesterday when we were in Ironrath. And she also said that I could bring a guest with me, so _you're_ coming with me."

"But I don't wanna go to some party."

"See? That is exactly why I'm buying you clothes right now." She explained. "Because if I allowed you to change in the penthouse, you'd never leave. And your outfit right does not scream _cocktail party_-ish at all. Also, you don't have to worry about Summer and Nymeria. I bought them an automatic feeder, so they'll be fine."

Bran was about to make some excuse that he had schoolwork to do, but Arya raised her hand and interrupted him.

"And don't make some dumb shit about schoolwork." She said as she'd somehow read his mind. "It's literally two weeks until graduation and you've finished all your requirements, including those books you were carrying. I know for a fact that those are done and ready for submission."

He sighed. Now, he was out of excuses.

"So, do you have any more excuses?" She asked. "Or are you gonna put those on?"

"Fine." Bran agreed reluctantly. "But if I won't like it there, I'm leaving." He declared.

"Sure," Arya smirked. "But I don't think that's gonna happened."

"I hate parties and social interaction." He countered.

"I know." She said. "But I have a gut feeling that you'll thank me for dragging you along."

Bran snorted. "Right."

"Just go to the dressing room and put those on."

Bran went towards the nearest dressing room and changed. When he came out Arya glared at him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Arya demanded, the approached him. "Don't tuck this in." She pulled the shirt from under his trousers. "Don't button the vest." She said as she unbuttoned the vest, then pulled the end of this sleeves. "Fold these to your elbows and then you're all set."

Arya then had one of the salesmen remove the tags from his clothes to have their barcodes scanned in the cashier's counter and paid for it before dragging him down on the Men's Shoes section.

"Arya, you've already bought me clothes," Bran said. "What are we still doing here?" He asked.

"Your shoes don't go with what you're wearing." She brought up. "So, I'm buying you loafers as well."

Arya started scouring for loafers on one of the shelves. Bran didn't mind her picking out his shoes as he knew Arya had good taste in fashion, probably not as good as their other sister Sansa, but at least Arya's taking comfort into consideration.

"I'm size nine." He called out.

She held up two loafers each with a different color and design. "Pick one."

"Uh, grey one." Bran pointing to the loafer on Arya's left hand. "Because the other one looks more like a moccasin than a loafer."

"Alright, then." Arya took the other pair of the grey loafer and placed them on the floor by Bran's feet. "Try it on."

And he did and it fitted just right. Arya had one of the shoe salesmen peel the sticker price off the shoes' sole to have its barcode scanned. She paid for everything using her credit card.

Afterwards, they went back to the car.

"Wait," Bran said with his hands in a stop-everything gesture. "I don't have a gift for Jorelle."

Arya took a cloth bag from her backseat. She opened it and pulled out a box the same size of two shoeboxes merged together, wrapped in purple wrapper and tied with a purple ribbon.

She handed it to him. "That is _our_ birthday gift." She informed. "Hold on to that."

Bran shook the box. "What's in here?" He asked.

"Acrylic paints and palette knives."

"Knives?" He repeated. "What in seven hells is Jorelle gonna do with knives?"

"_Palette_ knives." Arya said again.

"Oh, art stuff." He nodded. "Okay, cool."

Arya drove towards the _Seashell Hotel_ in midtown White Harbor as it's where Jorelle Mormont's birthday bash will be held.

According to what Arya had heard, Jorelle's party was to be held in the outdoors in the Seashell Hotel's gardens and pool area. But before they can get there, a hostess blocked their path.

"Good evening," The hostess greeted as she clicked her pen and prepared to check off the list of names on her clipboard. "Name please."

Arya forced out a smile. "Arya Stark." She revealed.

The hostess nearly dropped her clipboard. "Oh, uh," She stuttered. "Right this way, Ms. Stark." She gestured for them towards the garden set for the birthday bash.

"Thank you." His sister replied.

It was pretty normal, but Bran hated it when it happened. Most people freak out when they hear their last name. Few of the reasons were that the Stark family founded the Northern capital city of Winterfell and they are the most influential family in the entire region, in both politics and business.

Yep, their Dad, Eddard "Ned" Stark, is the current Governor of the North. He had Robb take over their company so he could run for office against Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort (Sansa's ex-boyfriend's dad), with the support of all their business partners and friends in the entire region.

They weren't feared like the Lannisters, but still, it never felt right to use their name for power or to get what they want.

The garden was decorated by the party's theme, which was a mix of a cocktail party and a music festival kinda thing.

There were trees and other plants that surround the area and they were decorated with series lighting, like the ones used to light Christmas trees, with different shapes from globe bulbs to pixie lights. And there were also festival pennants hanging overhead.

There was a small stage, of course, with a DJ's booth, stage lights, loudspeakers, and fog machines. Tables were set across the yard with a space just below the stage, like a dancefloor. On either side of the set tables, were long buffet tables with different Westerosi cuisines. To the stage's far-right was a swimming pool, with rock boulders and a waterfall. Although the pool lights fountains and waterfall were operational, no one was in the pool. And he assumed it only served as a backdrop to the whole party.

At first, Bran thought they were late as there were a lot of people already present at the venue. Some were talking and socializing, some were eating from the buffet and others were on the dance floor.

They spotted Jorelle Mormont by one table with three of her sisters namely: Alysane, Lyra and Lyanna and for some reason, Gwyn Whitehill. Then Bran remembered Gwyn was Lyra's colleague.

"What up, Mormonts!" Arya greeted, with Bran right behind her.

"Arya, hey!" Jorelle beamed then gave Arya a quick hug. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course, I'd come," Arya replied. "And happy birthday! Oh, and we got you something." She gestured to him before turning to greet Alysane, Lyra, and Lyanna.

"Hi, Bran." Jorelle said.

Bran smiled as he held up the present to her. "Happy birthday!"

"Aww, thanks." Jorelle acknowledged as she took the present and handed it to her sister, Lyanna. Then "I'm surprised your sister got you to come here."

"Well, you know Arya," He shrugged. "She has her ways. Even I think it's impressive."

"Nevertheless, I'm glad you're here." Jorelle smiled. "And please help yourselves at the buffet. Eat and drink as much as you can. And most of all, have fun."

Bran joined his sister in her conversation with Lyra and Gwyn.

"What's up, Stark Boy Number Three." Lyra greeted.

Bran snorted. "Hello, Lyra."

It was the one thing Lyra and his sister Arya had in common. They had the tendency to call people by their last name and their hierarchy as oldest-to-youngest sibling/cousin thing. _Stark Boy Number Three_ literally means that he is the third Stark boy in the family, with Robb being the first, and Jon being the second.

"Hi, Bran." Gwyn waved his hand at him with a smile. "It's great to see you again."

He nodded. "Likewise, Gwyn."

"Don't worry, Bran," Lyra smirked. "She's just in the bathroom."

Bran frowned in confusion.

Arya huffed. "I thought you were the fucking smart one in our family." She said. "I can't believe you never got that."

Lyra made a tsk sound and shook her head. "Boys," She said. "Totally blind."

Bran stared blankly at them. "Look, I have no idea what you're talking about." He said. "I'm just gonna go to the buffet and grab a few treats."

He was seriously starting to regret coming with Arya so to cope up with it, he decided to just eat. So he walked over to the buffet table and grabbed pork chops, spicy fried chicken and crispy onion rings. Afterwards, he sat on one of those woven couches by the pool and started digging in, not thinking about what would happen next that evening.

**MEERA**

Meera had no intention of going to a party on a Monday night. Even if it happened to be Lyra Mormont's sister's birthday bash. So after Gwyn and Lyra's planned on having to do this and that, Meera only nodded absent-mindedly. But in her mind, she was like, _seven hells, no! Count me out!_

When she got off from work, she drove to her house immediately not wanting to have small talks so that she could avoid being dragged to the party by her friends. But, of course, they found ways to get to her.

She arrived at their place in the _Greenwood Flats_ to her brother, Jojen grafting plant cuttings, which was a normal occurrence because he was not on the couch watching TV or playing games on his phone or studying, he was always on his plants.

As she was preparing dinner for Jojen and herself, her phone kept ringing, but she ignored it because she knew who it was. She left it in her room as she was in the kitchen.

Moments after she took the pot off the stove, a knock came from the door. She found it weird there's usually a ring from the wireless doorbell intercom.

"I'll get it." Jojen said as he ran towards the door.

"Where the fuck is your sister?" Meera could hear Lyra's voice from the door as Jojen let her and Gwyn enter their flat.

Jojen appeared from across the kitchen counter. "It's them."

"Meera, what the fuck?" Lyra raised an eyebrow at her. "We have to go."

Gwyn frowned at her. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Lyra was dressed in a striped black and white spaghetti jumpsuit and had her hair in twin braids down her shoulders. Gwyn was wearing a deep purple tube top and a leather pencil mini-skirt and had the top half of her red hair into messy twin buns.

Meera gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, I don't wanna go."

"Oh, seven hells, no, girl," Lyra said. "I'm not wasting gas money coming here just so you'd say no." She pulled her arm and dragged her towards her room.

"Lyra—" Meera started to say.

"Gwyn and I are picking your outfit." Lyra explained.

Meera sat on her bed as Gwyn scoured her wardrobe while Lyra braided her hair on one side.

"I can't believe you're trying to bail on us." Lyra spoke up as she finished up the braid.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She apologized. "I just didn't wanna go. And I was planning to call you right after I make dinner but—"

"I got it!" Gwyn pulled out a light green floral long-sleeved off-shoulder romper shorts from her wardrobe and handed it to her. "Put it on. You'll totally look hot in it."

Meera took the rompers from Gwyn. "I haven't worn this in a year. It's something my Mom gave me." She said before heading out to the bathroom to change.

She came back to both Lyra and Gwyn gasping in awe.

"Oh my gods!" Gwyn squealed. "You look smokin'!" She then pointed to the pair of black gladiator sandals on her shoe rack. "And wear those. It'll go amazing with the outfit."

Lyra chuckled. "I am certain that you will meet your potential boyfriend tonight."

"Dude!" Gwyn scolded. "What about Bran?"

"I think some of the Starks will be there." Lyra guessed. "Jory invited them yesterday through Arya, remember?"

"Oh, right." Gwyn nodded in agreement. "And since Bran currently lives in White Harbor, there's a chance he might be there as well."

"I doubt that." Meera countered. "Bran's kinda like Jojen in many ways. He hates social gatherings."

"Whatever," Lyra waved her off before standing up. "Let's just go."

On the car ride to the Seashell Hotel, where the birthday party will be held, Gwyn informed her that she got Jorelle a birthday present and on the card, she wrote both of their names. And thank the gods for that.

When they arrived at the venue, there were already a lot of people. At first, Meera thought they were late, but since she came in with Lyra, Jorelle's sister, she figured they were just waiting for other guests to arrive.

They were greeted by the birthday girl, Jorelle and the other Mormont sisters, Alysane and Lyanna.

After Gwyn handed Jorelle the gift, she looked around like she was looking for someone else. "You're missing one Mormont. Where's Dacey?" She asked.

"Oh, she's in the Black Ops," Alysane explained. "So she can't come. And our Mom's here."

Meera remembered about what Lyra told her about their family, that they were a military-oriented bunch. The General of the Armed Forces of Westeros, Jeor Mormont, is their uncle and their Mom's brother. Their elder cousin, Jorah and their father were also in the military.

According to Lyra, because their uncle and cousin 'took the black'—the term used when people join the military, their Mom, Maege Mormont became CEO of their electric utility company whose services covered the entire North region. And because Maege Mormont was the only other heiress, she kept the Mormont name as have her five daughters. But unfortunately, the girls' father died in an ambush during a black ops mission. Since then, no Mormont has been in the military, until Dacey, the eldest of the five sisters. She entered the Westeros Military Academy against her mother's will. Their mother never funded Dacey's college education so her Uncle Jeor did. And because of that, Dacey now had an estranged relationship with her Mom but maintained a close one with her four younger sisters.

As of now, the Mormonts are doing well. The second eldest, Alysane or Aly, worked at their family company, the _Northern Electric Co._; the third and middle sister, Lyra is Meera's colleague in _The_ _Northern Herald_; the fourth sister, Jorelle or Jory worked at the Northern office of _Stormbreaker Telecom_, a telecommunications company owned by the Baratheon family; while the youngest sister, Lyanna or Lya was currently studying law in UWH.

After a lot of chitchat, Meera excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Lyra narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her. "I swear to the gods if you don't come back—" She started to say.

Meera threw her hands out in exasperation. "Am I not allowed to go number one now?" She clapped back. "Gwyn can come with me for assurance." She offered.

Lyra huffed. "No need. Just don't be long."

"Yes, ma'am."

When she came back, Gwyn and the Mormont sisters were having a conversation with Arya Stark, Bran's sister.

"Here she is." Lyra pointed at her.

Arya smiled and waved at her. "Oh, hi, Meera."

Jorelle frowned. "You two know each other?" She asked.

"Of course, Jory," Arya said. "I have Bran to thank for that. Oh, by the way, he's right over there." She pointed across the garden on the woven couches by the pool.

Sure enough, Meera saw Bran sitting on one of the woven couches, enjoying a plate of food from the buffet and he was all by himself.

She resisted the urge to smile when she saw him as she didn't want to look stupid in front of Bran's sister and the Mormonts.

"He definitely needs someone to talk to," Arya said, wiggling her eyebrows at her. "And that couch is big enough for two people to sit on."

Meera didn't know how to react. _Did Arya just try to set me up with her brother?_ She thought. But before she could answer, Arya's phone rang so suddenly and she cursed under her breath as she took it. "I have to take this. Excuse me." She said as she went to a quieter spot to answer the phone call.

Jorelle turned to her and smirked. "Ooh!" She squealed, clapping her hands. "Well, what are you waiting for, Meera? Go get him."

"Hmm," The youngest Mormont, Lyanna spoke up. "Maybe we should hire Arya to be a wingwoman for Lyra."

Lyra glared at Lyanna. "Baby sis, shut your fucking mouth." She sighed. "The Starks are pretty cool." She declared. "Except for the pack of wolves that follow them around. They scare the shit out of you."

"Wolves?" Meera asked like she'd misheard her.

"Technically, they're just large dogs that look like wolves." Lyanna pointed out. "Not actual wolves. And they're adorable."

"No, they're not." Lyra countered.

"Yes, they are." Lyanna insisted. "And they're cuddly as well."

"Baby sis!" Lyra interjected. "This is not about the freakin' wolves!" She turned to Meera. "Just go talk to him."

And with that Meera wasted no time. She was absolutely thrilled to see Bran there as well. Now she was starting to think that letting Gwyn and Lyra drag her there was a good idea.

Meera went over to the buffet table first to get food before walking towards Bran by the pool.

He seemed like he was too focused on his food to notice anyone because he didn't even notice her at first until she cleared her throat.

Bran managed to look up from his plate and his eyes widened. "Meera?"

"Hey," She greeted with a smile. "Can I join you?"

He seemed to be still processing what was happening, because for a second there, he was staring at her in awe. "Uh, sure."

Bran moved aside and made room for her as she sat down beside him with her plate of food.

"I gotta be honest," Meera started. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight. In a social gathering."

"Technically, my sister, Arya just dragged me here." Bran replied. "No, more like, she tricked me into coming here as one of her many attempts to get me out of the _Aquamarine_ and socialize."

Meera frowned. "How did Arya got you to come here?" She asked. "I'm curious."

"By being extra about it." He explained. "First, she picked me up from school, took me to the mall and bought me clothes before taking me here."

"What?"

He nodded. "Yep, she's that extra."

"Well, it looks like we're on the same boat," Meera said. "Lyra and Gwyn literally stormed into my place to get me here. But you know what? I'm glad they did."

Bran smiled. "Me too."

There was awkward silence as they stared at each other before Bran broke it.

"Um," Bran started to say as he staggered with his plate. "Have you tried the onion rings?" He asked.

"Not yet." She replied. "Are they good?"

"They're really good." He confirmed. "Here have some." He took one crispy onion ring from his plate and reached it out to her mouth.

It took her a moment to realize that he was spoon-feeding or rather, hand-feeding her with the onion ring.

Meera bit it with her teeth and ate. "Hmm," She said after she chewed. "It is good. Do they have these in the Cornucopia?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah, they do."

"Let's try that next time." She suggested.

"This weekend." Bran promised.

"You're on."

Suddenly, Meera noticed that Bran was looking across the garden. She followed his gaze and saw Bran's sister, Arya holding up a napkin with words written on it and just in time for Lyra to swat it away from her hand, then they both forced out a smile and waved at them.

What they didn't know, was that Meera was able to read what Arya had written with a stick of lipstick on the napkin. _You're welcome_, it said.

And she couldn't help but laugh. "So, it's safe to say that they set us up, huh?" She guessed.

Bran turned to her red-faced. "You saw that?"

She nodded. "They used lipstick on a napkin."

If it was possible, Bran turned even redder from embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing?" She asked. "It's not your fault."

Throughout the evening, Bran stayed by Meera's side. They went back and forth to the buffet table for more food; cheered as people participated in the games and when Jorelle blew her birthday candles; even laughed together when they saw Bran's roommate, Beren Tallhart, who came to the party with a girl named Talia Forrester, and he was being chastised by Talia's twin brother, Ethan.

And instead of participating and dancing to the rave that was going on, they simply chatted and got to know each other better. His favorite color is blue; his favorite hobbies are reading (he owns tons of books) and walking his dog; and that his closest sibling is Arya because they were closer in age and she actually listens to him at times and she never dared him to do some parkour shit like his older brothers.

By 10pm, Meera decided it was time to go home since she still have work the following day, and Bran agreed. Luckily for them, Arya and the Mormonts agreed to have Bran take her home—and they did not even argue or persuade them to stay longer, which was kind of weird.

They took a cab because the _Seashell Hotel_ was too far away from where they lived. Bran got them a cab but had the cabbie take them to the _Starkgrand Coffee_ near the UWH because Meera insisted that she needed a decaf coffee to finish off paperwork for tomorrow.

From then on, they walked towards her place to the _Greenwood Flats_.

"So," Meera started to say. "You mentioned you like walking your dog. The Mormonts made a joke about you and your siblings being followed by a pack of wolves."

Bran chuckled. "Lyra said that, right?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "How can you tell?"

"Lyra is the only one among the Mormont sisters who's terrified of the dogs." He explained. "The rest of them love dogs."

"But the wolf part?"

"It's because they're incredibly large dogs." He stated. "And they have always been mistaken as wolves most times. Even we thought they were wolves at first, not gonna lie. But actually, they're a mixed-breed. My brother Rickon calls them the _Huskamutes_."

"Huskamutes?" She repeated.

"A mixed of Flint Husky and Skagosi Malamute."

"Oh, okay," Meera said. "Those breeds _are_ in the large dog group. But aren't you worried that they might…" She shrugged.

"Destroy stuff?" He finished. "Nope, my cousin Jon had them trained in Castle Black Military Base. So we're good."

"Must be great to have a pet dog."

"It is." He confirmed. "You should get a dog."

"As much as I wanted to, I can't."

"Why is that?" He asked.

"My Dad is allergic to animal fur." She said.

"But your Dad doesn't live in your flat." He pointed out.

"I know, but he visits sometimes with my Mom." She explained. "And they would usually stay over. And Jojen would freak out if the dog touches his plants. So, no."

"That's too bad."

"I know." Meera sighed. "Anyways, what's your dog's name?" She asked.

"His name is Summer." He blurted out.

"Like the season?"

"Yes, because the dogs were given to us in summer." He explained. "He's actually in the penthouse, right now. Arya begged our Dad to have our dogs with us, and he agreed."

"I'd love to meet him." Meera said before she could stop herself. He would think that she using the dog as an excuse so she could see him.

Luckily, she didn't think Bran got that.

"Sure," Bran said with a smile. "I think he'll love you."

They passed the food park and finally arrived at the _Greenwood Flats_.

Meera took a deep breath before speaking again. "I honestly didn't think I'd have fun tonight, but I did."

"Likewise." Bran smiled. "It was nice chatting with you."

"You still owe me a _Star Wars_ marathon." She pointed out.

Then Bran tilted his head and it's as if she could see the gears turning like an idea just popped into his head.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Well, we could have a marathon throughout the week," Bran suggested. "I know you have work and I have school the following morning, but what I'm suggesting is we watch one movie per night until the weekend. One movie is like, two hours long so what we'll do is have dinner, then watch the movie and you'll be home by nine." Suddenly, he made a face and turned red. "Or something?"

"No, no," Meera assured. "I'd love it. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Great!" He beamed. "Um, so should I pick you up from work or…?"

"Oh, I drive my car to work." Meera brought up.

"Okay, so I'll walk to the Northern Herald then." He said. "Maybe we'll grab some dinner before heading to my place."

She nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'm looking forward to tomorrow." She said. "Goodnight, Bran. And, oh—!"

Meera was surprised when Bran suddenly dived in and gave her a hug. It made her smile and she returned the same hug to him.

"And thank you." She finished.

They broke apart and she walked towards the entrance doors.

"Goodnight, Meera," Bran said as he waved at her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The thought of spending the rest of the week with Bran, she knew immediately to it's going to be the best week yet.


	4. Closer By The Day

**BRAN**

Bran literally had the best week ever. The day before his sister, Arya had dragged him to a party he didn't wanna go to, but in hindsight, he was very glad he did.

_You'll thank me for dragging you along_, Arya had said. And he might have to do just that.

He spent the entire party by Meera's side and it was…wonderful. Meera is super nice and easy-going and she has this confidence and energy that makes everyone around her feel good about themselves. But the real tea is the twinkle in her intense green eyes and her contagious warm smile. Like whenever she smiles, you can't help but smile back.

And he was also very thrilled that Meera agreed to his plan of a week-long movie marathon, and that way it won't be able to interfere with her work and his school stuff on the following days.

Tuesday morning he woke up in the pull-out mattress with a renewed energy and his dog, Summer beaming at him. Summer was literally in his face with his tail wagging playfully. _I'm hungry, let's eat,_ he seemed to say.

"Good morning, buddy," Bran greeted as he stroke Summer's hide.

On the actual bed, his sister Arya was still snoring. But by her feet, Nymeria was already awake and she was also wagging her tail when she saw him get up.

"Hello, Nym." He said as he scratched her chin. "I know you're both hungry. But I need to take a bath and get ready for school. And by then, I'll you guys something to eat. That okay?"

Both Nymeria and Summer barked in excitement. _Yes! Food!_ They seemed to say.

Their barking woke Arya up and she cussed. Nymeria lunged at her and licked her face.

"Alright, I'm up." She said, gently pushed Nymeria out of her face.

"They're hungry." Bran pointed out as he grabbed his bath towel.

"Ya think?" She groggily said as she got up and fixed the bed before heading out of the room, calling out to the dogs. "Come on, guys."

Bran then took a shower to freshen up, put on his clothes before heading downstairs for breakfast.

The two dogs, Summer and Nymeria, were already munching on their feeders. Beren was sitting on one of the barstools by the island counter, holding a glass of milk (which meant he was hangover again), while Arya was cooking breakfast on a pan.

He also noticed that the coffee maker was on the island counter. Hmm, it was typical, because Arya was there and she was the only one who always, _always_, used the coffee maker. She basically lives off coffee. But what pissed him off was the milk carton next to it.

"Arya," Bran shrieked. "You put milk in the coffee maker? What the fuck?"

Putting milk, whether it being fresh, powdered, or skim, in the coffee maker is a big no-no. That's one of the things the salesman in the supermarket had said when they had bought it. Putting milk will mess up the coffee maker, making the coffee taste and smell bad and unhealthy to drink, and it will be impossible to completely remove the milk residue.

Arya gave him an annoyed look. "No, I'm not fucking stupid." She said. "That will destroy the coffee maker. You think I want that to happen?" She stated, then proceeded to take plates from the cupboards.

"Why is the milk there then?" He asked.

"I only add the milk _with_ the coffee when it's in the mug." She explained. "So calm down, okay?" She said as she went back to cooking.

Bran took a deep breath before speaking again. "So, you're drinking milk again," He said as he sat across Beren by the island counter. "I don't have to guess that you were drunk last night."

Beren shrugged. "Just a little tipsy."

"No, no, no, no, _I_ was tipsy," Arya disagreed, turning to them again. "_You_ were dead arse drunk." She corrected as she pointed the spatula at Beren. "Wex literally had to half-drag, half-carry you up here last night. And you slept on the fucking couch."

"Again?" Bran turned to Beren.

Arya's eyes widened. "Is that a normal thing?"

"Oh, yeah," He said casually. "I've gotten used to it. But it mostly happens on the weekends, not in the middle of the week."

Arya shook her head in disgust. "Seven hells, Beren." She said. "Look, all I can say is, if you want a second date with Talia Forester, get your fucking shit together!"

Beren turned red in embarrassment. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Arya smirked. "I know. Gwyn Whitehill is a journalist, which means she's very much into details. And she's also the girlfriend of Asher Forrester—Talia's brother."

"Okay, I get it." Beren sighed. "Godsdammit!" He cursed under his breath.

"Well," Bran said, trying to lighten up the mood. "At least you didn't break anything, so that's good news." He called out to Arya. "So, sis, what are we having for breakfast?" He asked.

"Eggs in the seven hells." She answered.

"_What?_" Both Bran and Beren exclaimed in unison.

Arya huffed. "Basically, it's shakshouka."

"Oh, okay." Bran nodded in understanding.

On the other hand, Beren still looked confused. "What the fuck is a shakshouka?" He asked.

"Poached eggs cooked in tomato sauce." Bran clarified. "By the way, where did you get tomato sauce?" He asked.

"There's a half-empty opened pack of tomato sauce in the fridge," Arya replied as turned off the induction stove. "Might as well put it to good used."

"This is the weirdest breakfast menu ever," Bran chuckled. "Coffee with milk and eggs in the seven hells."

Arya placed the dishes on the island counter. "Here you go." She said. "Bon appétit."

And they ate.

"Hmm, this _is_ good." Beren said between bites.

"You don't have to act surprised, Tallhart Number Four." Arya said, matter of factly. "Of course, it's gonna be that good."

"Anyways, when are you going back home to Winterfell?" Bran asked his sister.

Arya narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. "You seemed very excited to kick me out of this place." She noticed. "Probably before lunch or after lunch. And the dogs are coming with me."

"No!" He protested. "Summer is staying with me."

"I won't be here anymore." She reminded him. "No one's gonna watch over him."

"You had said it yourself, Arya," Bran insisted. "You bought automatic feeders. And I won't be long in school I'll be home after lunch. I'll just ask Lya to write my name on the attendance sheet in Taxation class."

"Fine," Arya sighed. "I won't leave until you come back."

"Lucky you, man," Beren spoke up. "You get to be home by midday and I get to be out with Kyle Condon and Roose Ryswell and we'll be busting our arses off finishing the final drafts."

"Graduating students were literally given three weeks to finish the final drafts," Bran pointed out. "And you spent the first two weeks drinking and partying."

"I know, it's my fault." His roommate admitted. "Technically, I'm facing the consequences right now. Oh, and I probably won't be home until maybe ten or eleven later at night."

_Good,_ Bran thought. It meant Beren won't be here when Meera will be around. And he couldn't stand having to face his roommate teasing him.

"Alright," Bran agreed. "But if you break anything again, I swear—"

"I won't be out drinking, man." Beren corrected. "I'll be out finishing the final drafts."

Arya frowned. "Hold on," She held her hands in a stop-everything gesture. "_break anything again?_ What the fuck does that mean?"

"Well, you may have noticed the things missing on the console table." Bran said.

"Don't worry, Stark A," Beren assured. "I'll replace everything with new ones."

"No need," Arya said. "I'll handle that. Just get your arses going. And please buy me lunch so I don't have to cook anymore."

As usual, Bran walked to UWH and attended his classes. He had lunch with a few of his classmates in _The Burger Lab_, a fast-casual restaurant chain with table service. It's one of the two restaurant chains owned by his Mom's family, the Tullys, and a subsidiary of the _Tully Foods Corp_.

_The Burger Lab_ was also founded by the one who started the Tully family company, Grover Tully, who was a nutritionist himself. Yep, their Mom's family business is in the food industry. Several years after the success of their burger chain, they have developed and opened another restaurant chain, the _CARNEval_. It is a casual dining/tabletop cooking restaurant whose menu comprises of almost every kind of meat—pork, beef, lamb, wild boar, bison, venison; poultry—chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, pigeon, quail; and fish—salmon, halibut, catfish, sea bass, etc. It's basically a festival of proteins—a meat-lover's dream and a vegan's nightmare. And it was also Bran's favorite restaurant.

When their grandfather, Hoster Tully became CEO of the TFC, he introduced a new subsidiary, the _Minisa Food and Beverage_, with its brand name, _Minisa_, after his late wife and their late grandmother, Minisa Tully. It makes use of the Tully family's livestock, poultry, fruit & vegetable plantation by food processing it into canned, frozen, and foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture (sweeteners, spices, oil, color, sauces, dressings, yogurt, and cake mixes). As for the beverages, it mostly, fruit juice boxes and fruit sodas.

Their main competition in the food industry is the Tyrell family of Highgraden, with their fine dining restaurant chain, the _High Marshal_, their fast-casual pastry and baked goods chain, the _Rosebud Cakes & Pastries_ and their processed food brand, the _Golden Rose_.

But what both companies don't have in their fruit and vegetable plantations, were berries of any kind, because they only grow in the swamps of the Neck. So in a way, the Reeds unintentionally monopolized the production of a variety of berries in Westeros. And both the Tullys and Tyrells get their supply of berries from the Reeds, alongside Dornish companies for their wineries.

Bran bought home a take-out meal for Arya, two burgers—yes, her appetite is a lot bigger than Bran's; a box of onion rings and two boxes of chicken nuggets for the dogs.

"Here's your lunch." Bran announced as he entered the penthouse.

Arya was on her phone, playing a mobile game with both Summer and Nymeria on either side of her. She dropped the phone when she saw him.

"Oh, thank the gods." She said. "I'm starving. What did you get me?" She asked.

"The _Chemical Explosion Burger_, of course." He enumerated.

The _Chemical Explosion Burger_ is The Burger Lab's best-selling burger and their all-time favorite as well.

"With extra onions and extra bacon." Bran continued. "There are onion rings with a spicy dip and the chicken nuggets are for the dogs."

Yes, that is Arya's usual order when they go to _The Burger Lab_. It's literally twice as much as he would order for himself. And sometimes, if she's really hungry, she'd order a _Doomsday Combustion Burger_, which has two beef patties and twice the amount of the other ingredients like cheese, lettuce, onions, etc.

"Hmm, cool." Arya said, then she took a bite from her burger.

Bran had then fed the chicken nuggets to the dogs, handing a nugget each alternately between Summer and Nymeria.

"So," His sister spoke up. "When are you seeing Meera again?"

He never answered and just stared at her.

"What?" Arya shrugged. "You've been with her all night. Seemed impossible if you hadn't planned a date or something."

"Why does it matter?"

"Why don't you just answer the question rather than evading it?"

Bran sighed and was quiet for a few seconds before speaking again. "Fine, I'll be having dinner with her tonight at the _Cornucopia Food Park_ and I'm taking Summer with me."

"Oooh!" Arya teased. "But why take her to the _Cornucopia_?"

"Because I promised her that we'll try more of the meats in there." He replied. "And it's cheaper."

"Hmm, meat, you say?" Arya wondered. "Why don't you take her to the _CARNEval_ next time?" She suggested.

"That's the plan." He admitted. "But I don't wanna rush things. I'll just take it slow."

Arya finished her first burger. "By then you can finally put that VIP card to good use."

Bran frowned. "What VIP card?"

"What do you mean _'what VIP card'_?" She asked. "It's the ones Uncle Edmure gave us? They're supposed to be a family discount, _50% Off_ applicable on both the _CARNEval_ and _The Burger Lab_?"

"I don't have one of those." He pointed out. "And I need one of those."

"Well, obviously, Robb never gave you yours." She said, then took out her wallet from her pocket and pulled out the black VIP card with a golden star in the middle. "Here, you can use my mine." She handed her card to him. "And I'll use yours when I get it from Robb."

Bran took the VIP card from her. "How do you even use this?"

Arya gave him a look like he's an idiot. "Duh! Show it to the server when you pay for the bill." She explained as she started eating her second burger. "And then, boom! It's 50% off. By the way, why is your Webiflex watchlist comprised of all _Star Wars_ movies?" She asked.

He frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I turned on the flatscreen after you left earlier and saw that you're still logged on to your _Webiflex_ account." She explained. "We have those movies on DVD."

Bran sighed. "Well, I was hoping to have a movie marathon with Meera."

"With _Star Wars_?"

"Yes, because she's never watched a single movie of that franchise." He said. "And I'm changing that."

An hour later, his sister, Arya left for Winterfell with her dog, Nymeria. "No sex on the couch." She warned.

"Why the fuck would you even think I'd do that?" He demanded.

"You're doing _Webiflex and chill_, right?" She said. "I'm not stupid. I know what it means."

"I'm not like that." He insisted. "And we're not gonna do…_that_."

"You say that now, but we never know what'll happen." Arya said. "And it's probably better if I don't. Now, cheerio!" She said as she shut the door behind her.

It left him in the penthouse with his dog, Summer.

"Well, buddy," He said as he was sitting on the couch, scratching Summer's neck. "It's just you and me. Now, let's get you to a bath."

At the word _bath_, Summer whined and sprinted out of the couch, hiding somewhere.

"What—come on, bud," Bran stood and went to find him. "You're meeting Meera tonight." He pointed out. "You need to at least, smell good."

Now, Summer actually likes taking a bath. He'll stay still when the water from the telephone shower touches his fur. But just the process of Bran himself having to get Summer to take a bath is challenging. And it literally took him an hour to chase Summer around the penthouse and having to get him into the bathtub.

Obviously, the penthouse isn't equipped with their dogs' bathing essentials, Bran used his own shampoo and conditioner on Summer and used Sansa's old hairdryer to dry him off.

By 4:30pm, Bran texted Meera if it was okay to bring Summer with him to the _Northern Herald_, and when she replied that it was fine, he had put on a harness leash on Summer and they started walking.

On the streets, he got a mixture of looks from people, mostly it's them being terrified of the idea of a pet wolf. One even asked if it was legal to have a wolf as a pet and Bran just laughed and clarified that Summer isn't a wolf, but a cross-breed between a Flint Husky and a Skagosi Malamute.

Thankfully, the Northern Herald building is pet-friendly, so Bran was able to get inside the lobby with Summer and sat on one of the couches in the lounge.

Bran checked his wristwatch and it displayed _16:58_. He had then pulled out his phone and texted Meera that he was already in the lobby.

She replied immediately and it read:

_Meera; 16:58_

_I'll be right down. :)_

Moments later, one of the elevators popped opened and Meera was one of the people who got out of it.

Bran stood when he saw her and she waved and smiled in return. But halfway as she walked towards him, some blond guy in a suit who was standing by the reception desk talking to the receptionist earlier, stopped her and seemed to have started a conversation with her.

When Meera finally walked towards him, he could feel the blond guy's glare at him. Bran's best guess is that that guy was Tyrek Lannister.

"Hey." Meera greeted then gave him a quick hug.

"Hi," He said, returning the same hug. "Oh, and this is Summer." He gestured to his dog by rubbing his hide. "Say hi, buddy."

Summer was wagging his tail and was sniffing Meera's feet, prompting her to kneel.

"Hi, Summer." She said as she scratched his neck. "Aww, he's so cute."

As Meera petted Summer, Lyra and Gwyn walked by.

"Oh, what the fuck?" Lyra cussed, making sure she's away from the dog. "Why is that wolf here?"

"S'up, Mormont Number three," Bran acknowledged. "Gwyn. Nice to see you, guys. And Summer's not a wolf, he's a _huskamute_."

Gwyn knelt beside Meera and started petting Summer. "Aww, you know, for a large dog, you're so adorable."

Lyra looked at her colleagues in disgust.

"Oh, come on, Lyra," Gwyn said. "He seems friendly."

"Maybe this one is," Lyra assumed. "And Robb's, but Rickon's and Arya's? Seven hells, no. Especially the black one."

"Yeah, Shaggy's kind of aggressive." Bran reasoned. "But he's just really protective of Rickon."

Gwyn gaped at him. "You and your brothers and sisters each have a dog?"

"Um, yeah," He confirmed.

"It must be dog heaven in your house."

"Right," Lyra said. "Well, I need to go."

Meera frowned at her. "Since when are you in a hurry going home?"

Lyra sighed. "I promised my Mom that Jory and I will be taking Lya shopping."

Bran blinked. "Lyanna suddenly likes shopping?"

He knew about that because Lyanna was much like Arya in terms of personality, and both of them seemed to live up to their namesake, his Aunt Lyanna. Yep, Maege Mormont named her youngest daughter for her dear friend who had passed. As for Arya, her middle name is Lyanna, after their Dad's late sister. Between Bran and his siblings, only his sisters had middle names. And by middle name, it meant that they have two-worded given names. So their full names are _Arya Lyanna Tully-Stark_ and _Sansa Lyarra Tully-Stark_—with the _Lyarra_ named after their late grandmother and their Dad's mother.

"She's not a big fan of it." Lyra brought up. "But your graduation's in a week. And Lya needs a dress for the commencements because she's graduating with Latin honors." She said. "Aren't you as well?"

"Um, yeah," Bran nodded.

Bran had been told by his thesis adviser about it. He was very surprised when he found out.

"Holy shit, I guessed it right." Lyra said.

"Really?" Meera beamed at him. "Oh my gods! We are definitely celebrating tonight."

"Well, I'm not really surprised. Lya says you're always top of your classes." Lyra shrugged as she left. "Anyways, I'll see you guys around."

Meera stood and turned to Gwyn. "What about you, Whitehill?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm gonna wait for Asher," Gwyn replied. "And you guys have fun."

Meera had then pulled his hand and led him and Summer to where her car was parked. Bran sat on the shotgun with Summer on his lap.

"He can sit in the back, you know." She suggested as she sat behind the wheel.

"No, it's fine," Bran said, gently patting Summer's sternum. "I'm used to this, trust me. He barely leaves my side, except when I go to the bathroom or when he's eating."

"Alright," Meera said as she started the engines. "So, where to?"

"The Cornucopia," He replied. "Also, I think we should just buy food and have it wrapped because I don't think Summer would behave well with all that food in there."

Meera drove her car towards the food park and they bought what they needed, but the whole time they were there Summer kept restraining from his leash harness and he kept barking excitedly at the sight of food everywhere.

"This is why we're not eating here, buddy." Bran told Summer as they walked from different food stalls to buy food.

"Okay, going back to what Lyra said earlier," Meera spoke up. "Latin honors? I mean, anyone who invents water as fuel should get it."

"I honestly was surprised when I found out about it." He said.

"Which distinction is it?" She asked.

"The highest."

Meera stopped at her tracks and turned to him with wide eyes.

"What?" He asked.

"_Summa cum laude_?"

"Wait, is that what it is?"

She chuckled. "I thought you were smart."

"Look, I don't really care about awards and all that." Bran admitted. "My main goal is to graduate. That's it."

"Well, congratulations!" Meera playfully punched his arm. "You definitely deserve it."

Bran could feel himself blush. "Thanks."

After buying everything they need, they hopped back into the car and drove for the _Aquamarine_. At the lobby, Wex Pyke was there, grinning at them.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark," Wex greeted. "Ms. Reed."

And now, Bran was pretty sure it was another news to Robb and Theon.

Just as they arrived at the penthouse, Bran released Summer's harness leash and he ran straight towards the kitchen.

"Um, is he gonna be okay?" Meera asked.

"Yeah, he'll be fine." He assured.

As he and Meera were on their way to the kitchen to transfer what they bought on plates. Summer came back to them and placed his feeder before them. If Summer could talk he's probably saying, _You bought food, right? I want food._

Meera chuckled. "Oh my gods, Bran."

"Alright," Bran said as he picked up Summer's feeder. "It's coming."

He placed the feeder on the kitchen's island counter as Meera sat on one of the barstools. Bran took out the fried chicken, which he had specifically bought for Summer since it's his favorite protein, and shredded it to pieces. That way it'll be easier to eat and swallow.

Summer suddenly stood on two paws and had his front paws on the counter, impatiently waiting for his food.

"Hey, paws off the counter," Bran warned. "You'll get your food, don't worry."

Summer obliged and instead sat on the floor, wagging his tail.

"Here, boy," Meera called, and Summer came to her. "Aww, are you hungry from all that walking?" She asked as she raffled his hide.

Summer barked in reply.

"You're always hungry." Bran pointed out.

He had then un-skewered some fruit kebabs that they bought and placed the fruits onto his feeder. The fruit kebab has fresh strawberry, pineapple, kiwi, apple, watermelon, and grape. He obviously didn't include the grapes because it was toxic to dogs.

"Here you go, bud." Bran said as he took the feeder and placed it on the floor.

Summer was barking and jumping out and down in excitement. He munched down on the feeder immediately.

Bran had finally transferred what they bought onto plates and brought them to the living room. He browsed Webiflex and played _Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones_ on the flatscreen.

They ate as they watched the movie with what they had bought earlier: fried chicken, grilled beef tenderloin steaks, and crispy onion rings.

Halfway through the movies, Summer slithered beside Bran like he always did when he's sitting on the couch.

Meera kept asking questions and spoilers. Bran answered her questions, of course, but he was trying hard to avoid answering the spoilers.

But mostly, she was ranting on how the characters kept making stupid decisions throughout the movie.

"What are they doing?" She shrieked. "A Jedi isn't supposed to have…attachments, right? But how did they even get married? I thought it wasn't legit in the Jedi Order."

"It isn't." He confirmed. "It's forbidden, they can get expelled from doing so."

"But why did Obi-Wan let that happened?" She asked. "Is he turning a blind-eye because Anakin's his padawan?"

"No," He explained. "He doesn't even know about them."

"Well, shit's about to go down in Episode III, am I right?"

"Oh, yeah," Bran said. "It's definitely gonna bite them in the end."

It was around nine in the evening when the movie ended, Bran walked Meera to her car parked in one of the visitors' parking slots.

She started the engines and rolled down her driver's car window. "I'll see you tomorrow for Episode III?"

"Of course," He smiled. "And I'm still picking you up with Summer. And maybe I can cook dinner for us tomorrow."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I got some tricks up my sleeve." He said. "There a lot of things I can do in that kitchen."

"Alright, then," She agreed. "But by Thursday, I want it to be my treat at _The Burger Lab_."

Bran's face lit up. "Seven hells, yeah." He said. "It's so on."

"Great!" Meera beamed. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Bran."

"Goodnight." He waved as she drove off.

. . .

By Wednesday, Bran went to school and got home by three in the afternoon. And that's when he started cooking.

He wanted to impress Meera with his cooking and at the same time, he also wanted to make her enjoy and love the food he's making.

Bran made his Mom's recipe of his favorite rice meal, _Bibimbap_. It comprised of rice, ground beef, sautéed vegetables, mushrooms, bean sprouts, soy sauce with a sunny-side egg on top—all in a bowl.

So by four-thirty, Bran started heading to the _Northern Herald_ with Summer. And it was also the day when he had personally met Tyrek Lannister.

He was waiting at the lobby for Meera and as she walked towards him, she was interrupted _again_ by the blond guy.

"Hey, Meera," Tyrek said, who was all smiles. "Why don't you introduce me to your…friend here." He said the word _friend_ like it was an insult. And the tone of his voice sound annoyed.

Summer was snarling at Tyrek, who was trying to hide the fact that the dog's growl terrified him.

"Oh, this is Brandon Stark." Meera gestured to Bran, then motioned his head towards Tyrek. "Bran, this is my boss, Tyrek Lannister."

"Managing Editor." Tyrek pointed out as he held out his hand for a shake.

Bran reluctantly shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir." He said politely.

"Likewise," Tyrek raised an eyebrow at him. "So, you're a Stark?" He turned back to Meera. "Didn't you do an article about him?"

"Yes, I did." She confirmed. "It was published in the Monday issue."

Tyrek narrowed his eyes at Bran like he was trying to find a flaw in him. "You're still in college, right?"

"Um, yes, I—" He started to say.

"He's graduating next week," Meera interjected. "From the _University of White Harbor_, with Latin honors." She blurted out.

"Wow," Tyrek said in astonishment, with a hint of resentment in his voice. "That is so…cool."

Meera cleared her throat. "Anyways, we need to go." She said. "We have somewhere else to go."

"Alright," He gave a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry for keeping you from where you're going."

"Have a nice day, sir." Meera waved at him before pulling Bran with her out the building.

"Is he always like that?" Bran asked as they got into Meera's car.

"When he sees someone as a threat?" She guessed. "Oh, yeah. I've seen him be cocky to some guys under him, and a few months later, they asked to be transferred to a different department because they can't stand him."

"So, he sees me as a threat?" He said, still not believing it.

"He's more cocky than usual," She pointed out as she started the engines. "So, I would guess so."

They arrived at the _Aquamarine_ and they sat on the couch, gave her the bowl of Bibimbap he had cooked earlier before searching the movie, _Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith_ on _Webiflex_.

"Ooh!" Meera said at the sight of the bowl Bran had given her. "What is this?"

"It's my take on my Mom's bibimbap." He informed. "Hope you like it."

She mixed the contents on the bowl before tasting a spoonful. "Oh. My. Gods." Meera gasped. "This is amazing!"

"Really?"

"Yeah," She said before taking another spoonful. "I could eat this all day."

Bran had then played the movie.

"The movie poster itself is giving me bad vibes," Meera brought up. "I feel like something bad's about to happen."

"Why do you think so?" He asked.

"The background speaks for itself." She said. "Lava is never a good thing in movies. I'm just saying."

"Well, then," He shrugged and grabbed his bowl of bibimbap. "You better brace yourself."

"Seven hells, I knew it!" She screamed. "Someone is gonna die, right?"

"Um—I'm not saying anything more." Bran insisted. "Let's just watch the movie."

"I told you, I don't care about spoilers." She reminded him.

"Trust me, you'll want to find out for yourself." He promised.

They finished their bibimbap halfway through the movie. Luckily, Bran cooked had enough to fill two more bowls, so he had just refilled the ones they emptied.

Also, Bran loved watching Meera's reactions at the movie's most intense scenes. She was literally at the edge of the seat, gripping his arm for assurance. It was adorable to watch her. And some of her reactions that he highlighted were:

_"She's pregnant? I knew it would lead to something."_;

_"Palpatine is the sith lord?!"_;

_"How can they call themselves a Jedi master when they get killed by a single swing of a lightsaber?"_;

_"Obviously, you can't mess with the guy who owns a purple lightsaber—OH GODS!"_;

_"What in seven hells is Order 66?—HOLY SHIT!"_;

_"How can the clones kill their Jedi Generals without question?"_;

_"Oh, it's a lava planet, of course."_;

_"Nope, Anakin's too far gone and—OH MY GODS! HE'S AMPUTATED AND HE'S ON FIRE!"_;

_"Premature birth—not a surprise. Everything that happened is very stressful."_ and lastly;

_"Ooh, Twins! Separating them? Of course, so their Dad wouldn't sense their presence."_

After they finished the movie, Bran turned to her as Summer transferred to her lap, trying to calm her down.

"Well, how was it?" He asked.

"I'm still in shock." She replied. "It's insane and a total tragedy. And it definitely fucked me up. And you know the weird thing is, that they destroyed a government system and wiped out a peaceful organization all because of their family drama."

"So, it's Keeping Up with the…Skywalkers?"

Meera chuckled. "Yeah, kinda like that." She said. "But you know, that fade out at the end gives me hope. I think the twins are gonna set things right."

"Well, there's a reason Episode IV is entitled, _A New Hope_." He hinted.

"Ooh, yay!" She squealed. "Now, I'm excited."

. . .

By Thursday, Bran went to the _Northern Herald_ again as promised. Tyrek was obviously pissed off, but he was being subtle about it. And he was smart enough to not be standing too close to Summer or the dog might as well chew off his leg.

"Brandon, you're here again?" Tyrek pointed out, which Bran thought was ridiculous for a greeting. "Is this becoming a regular thing?" He asked.

"Um, I don't think so, no."

Tyrek nodded. "Good, because I don't want one of the best journalists here getting distracted by…hmm, whatever."

"I don't think Meera would want that to happen as well."

Tyrek narrowed his eyes at him. "So, what's your deal with Meera, then?"

_Oh, there's the question._ He thought. And by then Bran could see his inner Lannister cockiness shine through. And it's the same way Joffrey Baratheon dealt with almost everyone.

"We're good friends." He explained.

Tyrek raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?" He asked. "Just…friends?"

"Were you hoping for something more from us?"

"Oh, no," Tyrek admitted and almost sighed in relief. "Being friends is good. And I prefer it that way."

Bran wanted to answer back but the fact that Summer was already growling at Tyrek seemed enough to scare the living daylights off Mr. Pride and Ego. And Meera had just gotten off from the elevator, astonished by what she had seen.

"Hey," Meera came to hug Bran, which caused him to get another glare from Tyrek.

"Hi," Bran greeted. "So, are we good? Should we go?" He asked, desperately wanting to get out of Tyrek's line of sight before he invites himself wherever they were going.

"Um, yeah, sure." She replied, then nodded at Tyrek. "Have a nice day, sir."

Once he and Meera got out of the building, Bran sighed in relief.

"Seriously, how are you even able to stand that guy?" He asked.

"My patience is getting thinner by the day, honestly." She admitted. "Did something happen? Did he do something to you?"

"Well, he asked what I was doing here _again_." He recalled. "And he was subtlety pissed asking me that question."

Meera huffed. "I'm so sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing?" He said. "It's not your fault."

"He wouldn't have interrogated you if not for me."

"Let's just forget about it." Bran decided. "And get ourselves some burgers from _The Burger Lab_."

"Yes! Now, we're talking." She squealed.

Bran looked around the parking spaces. "Where's your car?" He asked.

"Oh, about that," Meera said. "I sort of learned a thing or two from you about walking rather than driving. So I walked to work today. And you're right, it gave me a good exercise, I saved energy and lessened the carbon footprint."

"And you also saved gas money." He added.

"I should do this more often." She declared. "And also if it's okay with you, I'd like to walk Summer."

"Of course," Bran agreed. "He already likes you so it won't be a problem." He knelt down and gently scratched Summer's neck. "Are okay with that, bud? Meera gets to walk you today?"

Summer barked in excitement and beamed at Meera, wagging his tail.

"I'm guessing that's a _yes_?" She asked.

Summer nuzzled his snout at her leg, whining happily.

"Definitely a yes," Bran confirmed, handling Meera the leash connected to Summer's harness. "Now let's head to _The Burger Lab_."

The nearest _The Burger Lab_ branch was only several blocks away from _The Northern Herald_'s building.

Halfway to their destination, they passed a small flower shop who had just been delivered fresh flowers from the Reach.

"Those fresh flowers smell good." He spoke up.

"Fresh flowers _always_ smell good." She said. "Everyone knows that."

Bran frowned at her. "You don't like flowers?" He asked.

"No, I do," She argued. "It's just…honestly, I don't know what to do with them when someone gives me flowers. I'd probably give it to my brother, so he can graft it. You know him and his plant stuff."

"What kind of flowers do you like?"

Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you gonna buy me flowers?"

"Well, I mean—if you tell me your favorite, then maybe."

Meera chuckled. "I doubt that." She said. "There aren't exactly stocks on the market since we're going into summer. It's kind of a seasonal flower and they're only picked during the winter season."

"Oh, I think I have an idea," Bran guessed. "Your favorite is the winter rose, right?"

"Yeah," She confirmed. "But you won't find any winter roses now, so don't bother."

_There aren't exactly stocks on the market since we're going into summer,_ Meera had said. But Bran likes to think she's wrong.

Back home in Winterfell, in the Stark Estate, they have a conservatory which is several yards from Stark Manor's west wing. It's technically a large greenhouse that conserves fruit-bearing plants and flowers, especially during the winter season.

The conservatory is the reason why they don't go to the supermarket for fresh produce, as they're basically growing their stocks.

And in that glass conservatory, they have blue winter roses, ones that were planted by their father's sister, their Aunt Lyanna. Their dad even had those roses labeled, _Lyanna's Winter Roses_.

Their Aunt Lyanna had died in a car accident when their cousin Jon was only about six months old. And it's the same accident where Jon got the long scar on his face that ran from his forehead down beside his right eye. They've never really known how or what caused the accident, all they knew was that paramedics found Lyanna Stark wounded and barely breathing clutching a crying baby Jon in her arms.

Anyways, now that Meera had mentioned her fondness for the winter roses, Bran already had a plan in his head. He's gonna have some picked from the conservatory to give to her. But how? He obviously will need help from another person, and of course, it will be his sister, Arya.

_Maybe there aren't available on the market, but I'll find some_. He promised himself.

They arrived at the nearest _The Burger Lab_ branch and it was starting to get packed with people because it was dinner service. Bran ordered his usual, the _Chemical Explosion Burger_ with extra bacon with onion rings with spicy dip sauce on the side, and a small box of chicken nuggets for Summer. Meera's order was the _Doomsday Combustion Burger_, which has two beef patties and twice the amount of the other ingredients like cheese, lettuce, onions, etc., with French fries with a jalapenos ranch dip on the side. She also ordered a take-out for her brother Jojen, the _Shroom Eruption Burger_—which is one of the vegan burger options. It mostly consists of mushrooms namely: Portobello, Shiitake and Enokitake mushrooms, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, with coleslaw on the side.

Looking at it, Meera's large appetite is much like his sister, Arya's. They eat a lot but never get fat—thanks to their fast metabolism.

When it was time to pay the bill, Bran handed her the VIP card Arya had given him two days ago, much to the server and Meera's surprise.

"Those VIP cards are limited edition," Meera informed. "It gives you a 50% discount. Where did you get one?" She asked.

Bran shrugged. "It was a gift from my Uncle Edmure."

"Only thirty of those are made." She added. "And they don't even expire."

"Seven hells, there are a lot of things I didn't know about this VIP card." He pointed out. "All I know is it's supposed to give a family discount to me and my siblings."

"Family discounts, huh?" Meera repeated. "_The Burger Lab_ and the _CARNEval_ are chains owned by the Tullys of the Riverlands. Are you related to them?"

"My Mom's a Tully." He blurted out. "The CEO of the company is her brother."

Meera gasped. "Oh my gods." She said with wide eyes. "They are like the richest family in the Riverlands. And they get their supply of berries from us." She sighed. "I know you hate this kind of thing being brought up and I'm sorry. I'm just…overwhelmed."

Yep, he hated it. Big time. But Bran decided to just ignore it being brought up for Meera's sake.

"It's okay." He assured. "Let's just get to my place and watch the movie."

When they got to the penthouse in the _Aquamarine_, Bran was surprised to see his roommate, Beren Tallhart sitting on one of the barstools in the kitchen's island counter having a box of pizza and a liter of fruit soda to himself.

He didn't expect to see Beren at the penthouse that early because for the past two days he had barely seen him as he was out finishing the final drafts of his thesis with his group mates and he arrived home very late at night.

"Oh, hey, man." Beren greeted as he took a slice of pizza from the box, then his eyes widened and he nearly choked his pizza when he saw Meera with him. "Hi, Meera."

Meera smiled. "Hello, Beren."

Bran frowned at him. "You're early." He noticed.

"We finished the final drafts earlier, had it bound and we're good to go!" Beren explained. "All we need to do is submit it tomorrow." He held the box of pizza before them. "Pizza anyone?"

"We just ate." He pointed out.

"Oh, okay, then," Beren said as he got up from his seat. "I'll just take this up to my room and not interrupt your date."

"Dude, it's not a—" He started to say.

"Yes, it is," Beren interjected as he made his way upstairs. "Just pretend I'm not here."

And with that, Bran browsed _Webiflex_ for _Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope_. They sat on the couch and watched the movie.

"The twins are gonna save the galaxy." Meera declared. "I'm certain. And maybe, just maybe they can save their Dad from the dark side."

Since Meera didn't have her car, Bran drove her back to her flat complex and promised her that they'll be eating at the CARNEval tomorrow night before watching _Episode V_.

When he got home, Bran set his plan on the winter roses to action. He pulled out his phone, searched his sister, Arya's number and called her.

_"What up, Little Bro!"_ Arya answered from the other line. _"Talk to me."_

"Arya, I need a favor."

_"What kind of favor?"_ She asked.

"Just hear me out." He insisted.

_"Alright, shoot."_ His sister waited. _"I'm listening."_

"Okay, so…um, I found out that Meera's favorite flowers are the winter roses. And we just happened to have those in the conservatory—"

_"Let me guess,"_ She interrupted. _"You want me to pluck a few from Aunt Lyanna's roses and tie 'em up in a pretty bow so you can give it to her?"_

_"Um…please."_ He pleaded.

_"Whoa, whoa!_" Rickon's voice boomed from the other line. "_Who is this Meera person, Bran? Is that your girlfriend?"_

"Holy shit," Bran shrieked in panic. "Is this call on speaker? What the fuck, Arya?!"

"_Hey, I'm in the kitchen preparing my midnight snack,"_ Arya explained. _"I can't be holding my phone while I'm kneading the dough with my hands."_ She pointed out. _"And Rickon just came by to the fridge and drank milk out of the carton."_

"Oh, gods." He said in a small voice.

_"Hey, you never answered my question, Bran."_ Rickon said, his voice louder. _"Who's Meera? Is she your girlfriend?"_

"No!" He screamed. "Of course, not."

_"Then why are you giving her flowers, huh?"_ Rickon asked. _"And those winter roses belong to Aunt Lyanna."_

"I know, but it won't hurt if you pick a few," Bran said.

_"And by 'a few', you mean, how many?"_ Arya asked.

"Maybe three…or five." He suggested. "Just, Rickon, please do not tell anyone. Not Mom or Dad or Robb or Jon or Sansa or any of the staff."

_"Don't you trust me, Bran?"_ Rickon asked, his voice a little hurt.

"No, because you have a big mouth."

_"Ouch,"_ Arya chuckled. _"Apply cold water to the burnt area, baby bro."_

_"No, I don't!"_ Rickon insisted.

"Oh, really?" Bran said. "Who told Mom and Dad that Robb, Jon, and Theon broke one of the glass panels on the conservatory with a golf ball? You did. Who told them that Robb was engaged before he was supposed to tell them? You did." He continued. "Also, who told them that Arya wrapped Sansa's phone in cling wrap, dipped it into gelatin and left it in the fridge overnight? You did."

_"I think Bran's gotta point, you know."_ Their sister agreed. _"You _do_ have a big mouth."_

_"I'm sorry, okay?"_ Rickon apologized. _"Sometimes, I get too excited and forget."_

Bran made a tsk sound. "I'm not buying it."

_"You can take away my Xbox for two weeks." _Rickon bargained.

"Two months."

There was silence for a few seconds before Rickon finally answered. _"Fine,"_ He agreed. _"And also, I need you to help me process my documents at the University of White Harbor."_

"Of course, bro," Bran promised. "I can even help fix your class schedule and put you under some of my favorite professors."

_"And how are you gonna do that?" _Arya wondered.

"I'm _summa cum laude_," He assured. "The profs will agree."

_"Hold up! What?"_ His sister gasped. _"Dude, rewind and freeze."_

Rickon beat Arya into asking the question. _"You have the Latin honors? Like Sansa?"_

That was true. Among his siblings, only Sansa had graduated with great distinction or _magna cum laude_ in Finance.

"Um, yeah." He confirmed. "I found out, like last Tuesday."

_"OH MY GODS!"_ Arya squealed. _"I was in White Harbor last Tuesday. Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"_

"I sort of forgot about that." He explained.

_"Well, congrats, bro!"_ Rickon said.

"Thanks." Bran acknowledged. "Now, back to the flowers."

_"Oh, don't sweat,"_ His sister assured. _"I'll be on it. By the way, when will you need it?"_ She asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon."

_"Okay, guess I'm going to White Harbor again." _She sighed._ "I'll see you then. But now, I have to get back to kneading the dough."_

"Kneading?" Bran repeated. "What kind of midnight snack are you doing?" He asked.

_"I'm making pizza,"_ She explained. _"Because I found some mozzarella and salami in the pantry today."_

_"Ooh, now that you've mentioned it,"_ Rickon said. _"I think I'm sticking around and wait for it to be cooked."_

_"Fuck off, baby bro!"_ She complained. _"Go back to bed."_

_"But I want pizza."_ Rickon said in his baby brother tone of voice. And it's basically everyone in the family's weakness, especially Sansa.

"Okay, I'm just gonna leave you both to your pizza." Bran said. "Goodnight." Then he hung up the phone.


	5. First Kiss

**ARYA**

Arya was usually sneaky and discreet, which is why she was able to get away with things that might get her trouble. But she was not used to being caught red-handed, and that's exactly what happened. And to make matters worse, it was her sister, Sansa who did.

Growing up, Arya never got along with her only sister. Mostly, because they have different likes and dislikes. Sansa was the prim-and-proper, girly-girl type, and Arya was the rebellious, tomboyish type. That's why she was closer to her brothers, specifically, Jon and Bran than her actual sister.

And it showed in their interests as well. Sansa took ballet lessons at eight, while Arya took water-dancing, which is a type of fencing. Their mother, Catelyn never approve of it, of course, saying that martial arts are not good for little girls. Their father, Ned countered that they should be allowed to explore and pursue what they want and assured that he will personally go with her on her lessons. At first, Arya found it hilarious when Sansa actually thought she was dancing in the water.

It was also how Arya got really close to their Dad and how she earned her nickname by him, _Cupcake_ because it was her favorite go-to after-practice food. Most kids would ask for ice cream, but she would ask for cupcakes and she'd usually ask for the ones with frostings and sweet toppings.

Going through high school and even college, Sansa was in the cheerleading squad and Arya was on the Fencing team. The same way her brothers were in the football team, well, at least Robb, Jon and Theon, and Rickon were in high school. In college, Robb stopped doing sports to focus on his degree, Jon went to military school, so only Theon joined the UWH's football team. Bran wasn't into sports, but he was on academic decathlon teams, representing their school in inter-school competitions. Rickon was purposely raised by their parents to do sports as a way to give him freedom due to his ADHD, and he seemed to be very happy about it.

As for their physical appearances, Arya seemed like the odd one out. Among Ned and Catelyn Stark's actual five children, she was the only one who had dark brown hair and grey eyes like their Dad. Her other siblings, however, took after their Mom, with their auburn hair and blue eyes. But if you put Jon in the picture, people would often mistake him as Ned's son as well because he had the same dark hair and grey eyes as she did. Their Uncle Benjen even compared them to other people: Robb is a young Edmure Tully—their Mom's younger brother; Jon is a spitting image of Ned Stark in his youth; Sansa is a young Catelyn Tully; Arya herself is reincarnation of their late sister, Lyanna Stark—which she hated if brought up; Bran is also a young Ned Stark but with red hair; and Rickon is also a reincarnation of their late eldest brother, Brandon Stark—just as wild and unpredictable.

One of her many talents was her sense of deduction—paying attention to the tiniest of details and connecting the dots to get to the bottom of things, one way or another. She couldn't explain it, but she could always tell if someone was hiding something. Intuition or a gut instinct, maybe.

She's also very good at keeping secrets, that's why her parents never found out she shifted to a different degree program until she graduated. Bran followed in her footsteps and did the same thing from Business Marketing to Structural Engineering, but unlike her, their parents found out a week after because he wasn't that discreet as she was. Thankfully, Bran never told on her but she made him a bargain that they would be business partners because they had both shifted to degree programs involved in the construction industry. And it was one of the things that made her closer to her brother. She'd literally go to great lengths to help him.

And while she was in the middle of helping Bran, Sansa had caught her red-handed, leaving her with no excuse and was forced to settle it that involved her sister's conditions.

Arya has had enough of people getting involved with whatever she was doing and even tolerated Rickon for sharing the pizza she had made the night before.

It was past eight in the morning on a Friday, when she went down from her room with Nymeria on her tail and walked into their kitchen.

Usually, on a normal weekday, everyone was at work or in school by that time. And she was surprised to see her sister, Sansa, still in her baby pink robe, eating yogurt on the breakfast nook, with her dog, Lady resting on her lap.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?" Arya asked. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Sansa shrugged. "I'm not feeling well so I told Robb I'm not going to work today," She said. "And I already called Jeyne to file a sick leave for me."

Jeyne Poole, Sansa's assistant, was one of their butler, Vayon Poole's daughters. And it's the same way, some of their staff's children worked for them in _Stark Industries_, and others their Dad had assigned some jobs in the _North Regional Capitol_ in Winterfell's uptown district.

Arya took Nymeria's feeder and filled it with dog food before getting herself a bowl of cereal with milk in it. She placed the feeder on the floor by the breakfast nook before Arya sat across her sister and ate her breakfast.

"So," Sansa spoke up. "What are you up to today?" She asked.

"None of your damn business." She snapped.

"I'm just asking a question, Arya."

"Well, I prefer it if you don't."

Sansa raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, jeez." Then stood up and gestured for Lady to follow her. "Come on, girl."

Truthfully, Arya didn't want Sansa interfering with what she's about to do. Right after she had her breakfast, she proceeded to their conservatory.

The conservatory is a large greenhouse several yards from Stark Manor's West Wing. Back then, it stored their home-grown fruit-bearing plants during the winter season. Now, it still had fruits-bearing plants, root crops and herbs like lemon, tomato, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, parsley, etc.

But now, it also had flowers. Before their Dad married their Mom, the only flowers it stored were winter roses planted by their late Aunt Lyanna. Since their Mom, Catelyn is very-much into gardening as she had grown up in a farm herself, the conservatory had other types of flowers other than winter roses.

The conservatory is made of glass everywhere, except for its steel framing. The walls are paneled glass made to retain heat and keep the cold out. It also has frosted glass sliding doors. Its roof is also made of glass and sloped to make sure to keep the snow from piling and breaking it.

Inside, were a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as flowers in raised garden beds. The vegetables were in rows, fruit trees were distributed on the center just below the apex of the sloping gable roof. Flowers were either in garden beds or hanging in pots on the steel trusses. Vines also grew on a green wall on the back adjacent to the doors and the posts climbing up the trusses. The flooring was of terracotta tiles in a herringbone pattern.

There's some sort of lounge area just on the left side from the doors when you enter. It has a dark brown woven patio couch, two armchairs and an ottoman all with beige cushions, with a wooden coffee table and a small bonsai tree as its centerpiece.

Just across on the lounge was a utility area, with a sink with a stand, a table, and a cabinet filled with just about every garden tool needed. On the table were spare clay pots of varying sizes, a watering can, empty spray bottles and metal buckets, a pair of garden gloves and a spray nozzle for garden hoses. Below the table was a wheelbarrow half-filled with large pebbles, sacks with labels of _loam_, _sand_, and _coco peat_, a reel lawn mower, a neatly coiled bright green garden hose, and a pair of garden boots.

Arya entered the conservatory with Nymeria and her dog went immediately climbed up to the ottoman, the way she always did in an ottoman in Arya's room, and settle down like she owned it.

"Nymeria, what are you doing?" Arya asked. "That's not your chair. Get down from there." She ordered.

But instead of getting down, Nymeria rested her head on the cushion and whined as if to say, _but it's so soft and comfy_.

"Nym, come on, no one's supposed to know we're here." Arya said as she approached the table and grabbed the garden gloves.

But no, Nymeria whined even louder.

Arya sighed as she put on the garden gloves. "You are _so_ gonna get me caught." She then went for the cabinet of garden tools.

The cabinet had the tools every gardener need. Half of it, Arya couldn't even name. There were different types of hoes, rakes, shovels, spades, loppers, weeders, garden knives, pruning saw, trowels, secateurs, and even a sickle—grim reaper's signature weapon.

Arya took out the secateurs and walked towards the raised garden bed where the bushes of winter roses were. The blue winter roses were first planted by their Dad's late sister and Jon's Mom, their Aunt Lyanna. Their dad even had the roses labeled, _Lyanna's Winter Roses_.

Just as Arya was about to cut into her first winter rose, Nymeria barked in warning.

"What is it now?" She asked. "You're making me more nervous than I already am."

But Nymeria barked even louder.

"Nymeria, be quiet." She urged.

Suddenly, the sliding doors opened wide and her sister Sansa walked in with a very surprised expression and her dog, Lady was with her, who then went on to join Nymeria in her luxury seat.

"Oh, shit," Arya muttered.

"I knew you were up to something," Sansa said, matter of factly, then closed the doors shut.

"Sansa, what are you doing here?" Arya demanded.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Sansa raised an eyebrow at her. "I know you've pruned bushes before, Arya. But what are you doing near Aunt Lyanna's winter roses with a pair of secateurs, huh?" She asked.

"Like what I've said earlier," She replied. "None of your damn business."

"Does Mom and Dad know what you're doing?" Sansa smiled. "Two can play at that game, sis."

"Alright," Arya sighed as she faced her. "What do you want?"

"For you to answer my question," Sansa crossed her arms. "What are you going to do with the roses? And why are you suddenly cutting roses?"

For a moment, Arya just glared at her sister, not knowing what to say.

"Nothing to say?" Sansa smirked, then giggled. "It sounds weird when I'm saying your usual line."

"Well, I—um," She started to say.

Sansa raised her hand. "Wait, if you're gonna say it's for decoration, you're a terrible liar. You don't even keep flowers in your room because you can't maintain them."

"I'm a terrible liar?" Arya shrieked. "Wow, look who's talking. If I'm terrible, you're much worse than me. Because unlike you, I know how to cover my tracks."

"What does that suppose to mean?" Sansa asked.

"It was me who figured out you were abused by your psychopathic ex-boyfriends both that presidential blond pile of shit and the Bolton bastard," Arya recalled. "I mean, hello? No make-up can fool me when it comes to bruises."

"Hmm, fair point." Her sister said. "But seriously, going back to the flowers. Why are you cutting them?" She asked again.

Arya huffed. "Please, if you're going to blackmail me for something, go right ahead." She said as she snapped her first rose. "I know you have nothing against me. But I have a lot of things against you."

"Maybe," Sansa said. "But I do now. The winter rose bush itself is the evidence. And you know how Dad feels when one of us touches any of Aunt Lyanna's or Uncle Brandon's old stuff."

"Oh, so you're gonna tell Dad, huh?" Arya guessed as she cut another rose. "Go ahead, but they won't believe you because you won't any proof. Like I said, I cover my tracks."

Arya said all that in confidence, but in reality, she was just hoping Sansa didn't have a camera or she'll be in serious trouble.

Sansa sighed in annoyance. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"Oh, the roses?" Arya said. "It's a favor I'm doing for Bran."

"What in seven hells does Bran want with winter roses?"

"Well, Bran found out Meera loves winter roses." She explained. "He wants to buy her some, but they're not exactly available on the market because we're heading into the summer. And then he remembered that we have some here. So, that's that."

Right then, Arya expected her sister to scold her. But what Sansa did next, surprised her.

"Aww," Sansa said giddily. "That's so sweet. But how will you take the roses to Bran?" She asked.

"I'm going to White Harbor later."

Sansa raised an eyebrow. "Alright, how about we just make a deal about this? I won't tell Mom and Dad about the roses. But I get to help and go to White Harbor with you. How's that?"

Arya chuckled and shook her head. "Seven hells, no!" She countered. "It's bad enough that you caught me here. I'd feel better if you just keep your mouth shut and pretend you never saw me here."

"That could work," Sansa said as she took out her phone and scrolled through the screen. "But this will also work out big time."

And that's when Arya heard several camera flash sounds. It made her turn to her sister.

"What the fuck?" She complained.

"I'll send this to Dad right now." Sansa dared and showed Arya her phone. "All I need to do is press _send_ and then you'll be in trouble." She tapped her foot impatiently. "So, what's it gonna be?"

"I can't take you to White Harbor," She argued. "You're on a fucking sick leave. And I can't carry you when you faint."

"First of all, I'm not gonna faint," Sansa assured. "I have taken my medicine and my vitamins, so I'm good. Second, you'll need help arranging the bouquet. And I know you're pretty good at the whole arts and crafts thing, but you do not mess up a bouquet. Ever."

No matter how much Arya wanted to shrug away her sister's help, Sansa was right. She had no idea how to arrange a bouquet. They had to set their differences aside, at least for a few hours, for Bran.

It took her a long time to answer. But since there's no other way around it, she didn't have much choice.

Arya sighed. "Fine." She blurted out. "It's a deal. But Nymeria gets shotgun. And if Mom and Dad ask you why you went to White Harbor with me, that's on you."

Sansa smiled. "Perfect!" She squealed. "Also, you don't have to worry about Mom and Dad…and Robb. I've got that covered."

"I can't believe this is happening." She mumbled.

"Just accept the fact that I win this time, Arya." Sansa said as she walked towards the table, picked out a bucket, half-filled it with water, and placed it before her.

"What is this bucket for?" She asked.

"For the roses, duh!" Her sister said as she held an open palm, wiggling her fingers. "Now hand me those secateurs."

She glared at her. "What do you even know about flowers?"

"More than you, obviously." Sansa insisted. "In case you forgot, I became very good friends with Margaery Tyrell, and she's only the daughter of the owner of the largest supplier of flowers in the entirety of Westeros. So, of course, she taught me a few stuff."

That was true. After Sansa had graduated from the_ University of White Harbor_, she was in an internship program in Oldtown, in the Reach. Their parents agreed as it was as far away as either Joffrey or Ramsay. Whilst being there, Sansa had befriended Margaery Tyrell.

Arya reluctantly handed Sansa the secateurs, took off the garden gloves she was holding and handed it to her as well.

Sansa put on the garden gloves. She took the three roses Arya had managed to cut, snipped the cut-end a little and placed it on the bucket.

"The ones you got are not bad," Sansa assessed as she tugged one stem of the winter rose bush with the secateurs. "You know the prime rule of the Tyrells about picking flowers? _The fresher, the better._ So it's better to pick the roses that had just barely bloomed." She then snapped a stem of one rose. "Also, you have to cut it at an angle," She then placed it on the bucket with water. "And put it in the water right away because moisture will fade as soon as we cut them."

Sansa had snapped away about two roses when she turned back to Arya again. "How many roses do we need, anyway?" She asked.

"Maximum of five," Arya replied. "So that's about it. We're good."

Sansa blinked at her like she was kidding. "Only five?" She asked. "If Bran's gonna ask this girl to be his girlfriend, we're gonna need about a dozen."

"What in seven hells do you mean _only five_?" Arya shrieked. "Right now, I'm still contemplating on maybe Aunt Lyanna's gonna rise up from her grave because we touched her winter roses; and how I'm gonna get this roses from here to my room, wrap it into a bouquet and on my car to White Harbor without being seen—and you want to cut a dozen roses? How fucking extra can you get?"

Sansa held an open palm up. "Calm down, okay? And why are you so worried about being seen with these roses? I already told you, I won't tell Mom and Dad. You have my word." She promised.

"If one of our staff sees us with Aunt Lyanna's roses and they tell Dad, we'll both be in trouble." Arya pointed out.

After Sansa finished cutting a dozen roses, they head out and face the challenge of not being seen by their house staff. But before stepping out of the conservatory, Arya took one of the spray bottles for later use of misting the roses.

It was challenging. Sansa had carried the bucket of roses, while Arya had to be the lookout with their two dogs following after them. It took them two attempts to pass through the kitchen because their cooks were already preparing to cook for lunch. The first time, Arya had to push her sister out to hide behind a column so that she'll be out of the cooks' line of sight.

"Ms. Arya, are you alright?" Gage, the head cook asked.

"Um, yeah," She managed to say. "I—I just took a stroll with the dogs on the grounds."

When the cooks turned their backs on them, Arya urged Sansa to go ahead. Thankfully, they got through and slowly went up the grand staircase—yes, Stark Manor has a grand staircase.

But they encountered another problem. On the hallway to their bedrooms, they saw their head housekeeper and babysitter, Nan, or as Bran and Rickon called her, _Old Nan_. They called her old because she was literally in her seventies and she had been around since before their Dad was even born.

At the moment, Old Nan was dusting down family portraits.

"Oh, shit." Sansa cussed. "What do we do?"

"We need to distract her."

"And how are we going to do that?" Sansa asked.

Arya scanned the area trying to find something they can use as a distraction. Then she remembered the spherical railing post cap on the right side of the staircase. It was Rickon who discovered that they were detachable and used it on a fetch game with his dog, Shaggy.

Arya smiled as an idea popped into her head. "Leave that to me." She said. "When Old Nan turns her back, you need to run to your room. I'll head there after I take a shower and then I'll tell Hullen to get my car ready." She had then proceeded to unscrew one of the spherical railing post caps on the right side of the staircase.

"What in seven hells are you doing?" Sansa demanded.

"This is the fucking distraction I'm talking about." Arya hissed, then turned to the dogs. "Girls," She said in a small voice, then held up the post cap for them to see. "Wanna play fetch?"

"Oh my gods, are you serious?" Sansa sighed.

"Will you shut the fuck up and trust me for once?" Arya argued. "Our dogs are always willing to play fetch, especially with a ball."

Of course, as she held up the post cap, Nymeria and Lady wagged their tails excitedly. _Ooh, a ball!_ They seemed to say.

"Go get the ball." Arya said, then rolled the ball as if she's rolling down a bowling ball in an alley, across the hallway.

The dogs raced after the ball and fought each other on who gets it first. Sure enough, Old Nan turned her attention from dusting the portraits to the dogs fighting over the post cap and started to walk towards them.

"If Lady eats a post cap, I swear—" Sansa started to say.

"Go, now!" Arya urged her sister ahead and Sansa obliged, carrying the bucket of roses with her to her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Arya ran towards the ruckus and split the two dogs apart. "Hey, cut it out." She said as she took the post cap.

"My goodness, Lya," Old Nan said, clutching the feather duster. "Those dogs better not break anything in here."

Since Old Nan was their Dad's and his siblings' babysitter back in the day, and Arya had been told far too many times that she looks like her Aunt Lyanna even though she hated being compared to her constantly. Arya allowed Old Nan to call her _Lya_ as her Dad mentioned it's the same way she affectionately called her Aunt Lyanna then. And also, because her middle name _is_ Lyanna.

"Sorry, Nan." Arya apologized. "It won't happen again."

"Oh, don't promise me anything." Old Nan replied. "I use to tell your father that when he was your age."

"Really?" She wondered curiously.

Old Nan chuckled. "It gets worse every time."

Arya frowned. "Dad gets in trouble back then?"

"Not Ned," Old Nan assured as she went back to dusting portraits. "He was the quiet one, growing up. It was mostly your Uncle Brandon or your Aunt Lyanna who always got scolded by your grandfather."

It was odd hearing about their Uncle Brandon and Aunt Lyanna from other people. Even their Dad never talked about them. Arya wanted to know more, but apparently, time is of the essence and they need to get to leave for White Harbor before their parents got home for lunch.

Arya took the railing post cap and returned it to its place and head to her bedroom with the dogs. She texted their chauffer, Hullen to get her car ready before she stepped into her bathroom and took a quick shower.

She had just got dressed when Hullen came by for her car keys so he can park her car out in front of Stark Manor's porticos.

Afterwards, she had strapped Nymeria in her harness leash, the way they do when they take their dogs out of the Stark Estate. She had then knocked on her sister's door.

"It's open." Sansa called from inside.

Arya opened the door and stepped inside. Sansa was sitting by her dresser, blow-drying her hair.

"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me." She said. "Will you hurry up? We need to leave before Mom and Dad come home for lunch."

Sansa glanced at a digital desk clock she had on her dresser. _10:09_, it read. "It's only ten," She assured. "They won't be home until noon."

"Um, hello? White Harbor is a two-hour drive from here!" She reminded her sister.

"An hour and forty-five minutes." Sansa corrected.

"Whatever!" Arya argued. "It's rounded-up to two hours. Just hurry up."

"Oh, by the way, can you please strap Lady in her harness leash?" Sansa pleaded. "Since you're not doing anything at the moment."

Arya reluctantly put on Lady's harness leash while Sansa finished up drying her hair. "Anyways, do you have some old newspapers or something we use to cover up the roses?" She asked.

Sansa went through her magazine holders and took out a few old newspapers. "Will these do?"

They worked together to cover the roses with old newspapers carefully to not destroy the flowers and held it together with some sticky tape.

Arya let her sister finish covering it while she went to find Hullen for her car keys. She found him in the kitchens and he handed her the car keys.

By ten-thirty, Arya and Sansa get to the car and sped off to White Harbor. Arya drove, of course, since it's her car and as promised, Nymeria was on the shotgun with her doggie seatbelt on. Sansa was on the backseat with Lady and she had the bucket of roses on the car's floor carpet.

"If you spill water in my car, I'll fucking kill you." Arya warned.

"That depends on how you drive the car, sis." Sansa countered.

Arriving in White harbor, they first stopped at a local flower shop to buy some supplies for arranging a bouquet, namely: kraft papers, chicken wires, and ribbons.

Afterwards, they head to _The Burger Lab_ branch near the Aquamarine and ordered their lunch in the drive-thru window. Arya ordered her usual, the _Chemical Explosion Burger_ with extra onions and bacon. Sansa ordered the _Concentrated Experiment Burger_, the burger for the health-conscious people because it was supposedly low-fat and they added some chicken nuggets for the dogs. They also used the VIP card, of course.

Bran wasn't in the penthouse at the moment, as he was attending his classes in UWH. It was Summer who welcomed them, barking excitedly and running up to them.

"Hey, buddy," Arya greeted as she scratched his neck. "Did you miss us and your sisters?"

Summer licked her face in return and went ahead and rolled in the carpet with Lady and Nymeria.

They head to the kitchen and Sansa placed the bucket of roses on the island counter. "The place is surprisingly clean, despite the fact that guys live here." She gasped.

"Bran's a neat-freak," Arya reminded her. "Like you. So, it's not much of a surprise, really."

"And this is new," Sansa said as she pointed to the pots by the kitchen windowsill. "An herb garden with labels and everything."

Bran had labeled each pot of herb plant: _chives_, _parsley_, _basil_, _sage_, _rosemary_, _thyme_, _mint_, _dill_, _coriander,_ and _oregano_. Yep, and Arya knew Bran got the herbs and the labeling thing from the conservatory.

"It's genius." Sansa beamed. "Why in seven hells didn't I think of this?"

"Well, you don't live here anymore." Arya reminded her sister. "It doesn't matter."

They ate the burgers they bought. Afterwards, Arya drank her iced tea and then fed the dogs the chicken nuggets and dog food from the stock Bran had. Sansa, however, always settled for water because she was health-conscious.

Sansa took a glass from the cupboard and opened the fridge. "Let's see what we have here." She said. "Oh, hey." She turned to Arya. "You can cook meals with this supply of food here. Bran made a great job of stocking supplies."

"Please tell me there's still milk," Arya said. "Because if there isn't, I'm gonna fucking kill Beren if he drank it all again."

Sansa frowned. "Why would Beren drink milk?"

"He uses milk to cure his hangover." She explained. "The last time I was here, there wasn't even enough milk to make waffles."

All of a sudden, they heard a scream from the living room. "Holy shit!"

Both of them went to see who it was, and it was Beren Tallhart. And he had his backpack slung on his shoulder so Arya assumed he was heading to the UWH.

"Hello, Beren," Sansa greeted.

"Oh," Beren sighed in relief. "Starks A. and S., what's up?"

"Tallhart Number Four," Arya acknowledged. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"I'm heading there now," He explained. "I was just surprised to see three dogs in the living room. It's not a common sight, you know."

"Don't worry, they won't harm you." Sansa assured.

Beren nodded. "Unless I piss them off." He recalled. "Yep, message received."

"Do you know what time Bran gets home?" Sansa asked.

"I don't know, sorry." He replied. "But all I know is, today's the deadline for the final drafts. So, I'm assuming he's just going to do that."

Suddenly, the front door opened and Bran entered. Summer, of course, ran to greet him. But he froze at his tracks and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw them in the room.

"Oh, speaking of the devil," Beren gestured to Bran. "He's here. Now, if you'll excuse me, Starks, I have to go. See ya around." He said as he closed the door behind him.

**BRAN**

Friday was a big day. Well, at least for Bran. The things that happened will go down in history, in his life. There were minor setbacks because some egoistic blond guy decided to butt in, but by the end of the day, it still worked out and he got his first kiss.

It was also the submission date of all the final requirements for graduation. But it didn't matter. He didn't have to cram because he did everything weeks ago, and all he had to do was submit what he had made, which meant he had the whole afternoon.

As Bran walked back to the _Aquamarine_, he saw his sister, Arya's car in the guest parking slots. He smiled as it meant that Arya had brought the winter roses with her.

But as he went back into the penthouse, he saw a scene he didn't expect to see. Three dogs were playing on the carpet in the living room, and Summer was one of them, along with his littermates, Lady and Nymeria. And of course, Bran's two sisters, Arya and Sansa, talking to Beren.

Beren looked like he was going to UWH because he had his backpack with him, and he left just as soon as Bran walked through the doors.

After Beren left, Sansa, being the clingy and most affectionate one in the family, rushed towards Bran.

"Little brother," Sansa smiled as she pulled him into a hug. "We missed you so much." She then kissed his cheek. "How have you been?"

Bran was incredibly surprised to see Sansa as she rarely left Winterfell or even Stark Manor without any bodyguards at all. But here she was, in White Harbor with Arya, the sibling she rarely got along with.

He was still giving Sansa a puzzled look. "I'm good." He said, then took a deep breath before speaking again. "Sansa, what are you doing here? I knew Arya would be here, but I didn't know you're coming as well."

"Well, duh!" Sansa said. "You'll need my help in arranging a flower bouquet."

"Aren't you supposed to be at work?" He asked.

"Yes, but I'm on sick leave."

He didn't buy it, so he turned to Arya for answers.

"She, sort of, caught me in the act," Arya explained. "Like in the middle of snipping roses. Her only condition is to come here with me."

Bran nodded. "Okay, so you both drove each other's cars getting here."

"Nope," Sansa said. "I hitched the ride with Arya."

He raised an eyebrow at them. "Really?" He exclaimed like he could not believe it. "It's a miracle that you're both still in one piece."

"Well, the dogs were there." Arya reminded him. "And also, I think the winter roses are the ones keeping us from killing each other."

"Speaking of roses," Bran said, scanning the area. "Where are they?" He asked.

"In the kitchen," Sansa informed. "But it's still wrapped. But be careful in tearing off the newspapers."

Bran headed to the kitchen followed by his sisters and saw the bucket covered in old newspapers taped together. He carefully tore down the newspaper and was stunned his when he saw the roses.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed. "I said you can get a maximum of five! This is…" He counted the roses in multiples of two. "Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve—a dozen?" He turned to them. "You cut a dozen roses from the conservatory?"

Arya simply shrugged. "That's what I said."

"Oh, come on," Sansa said. "There's like, significance to the number of roses you give a person." She explained. "Five is like, letting someone know that they're special which I think you already have. I mean, Meera spent a night here, right? You cooked her breakfast, and…" She turned to Arya.

"And he drove her home." Arya finished.

"See?" Sansa said. "So we either go big or go home."

"Except Bran isn't fucking extra like you." Arya countered. "And what in seven hells does it mean if you give someone a dozen roses?" She asked.

"It's subtly asking that special someone to be yours." Sansa explained.

"Whoa!" Bran held his hands up in surrender. "I don't wanna rush things with her. I only met Meera last week."

"Mm-hmm," Arya smirked. "And since Jorelle's birthday party, I'm pretty sure you've met with her everyday since then, correct?"

Bran was silent and at a loss for words. He hated when Arya figures out something that he had initially kept a secret. For him, at least. But when she does that to other people, it was glorious to see their reactions.

"Ha!" She snapped. "Silence means _yes_. Don't fucking deny it. And if you're gonna say, _you have no proof_. I have two, actually."

Even Sansa was curious. "Really?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah," Arya nodded. "Number one: when you left for school last Tuesday, I turned on the flatscreen to see that you're still logged in to your Webiflex account and you have every _Star Wars_ movie on your watchlist. And you have mentioned that you were having a movie marathon with her. Proof Number Two: I could just go down the lobby and ask Wex Pyke if Meera had been here in the last three days."

Bran huffed. "Godsdammit. Alright, yes, she had been here." He admitted.

"See?" Arya smirked. "It's not hard to admit it."

"Wait, have you been sleeping with her?" Sansa asked.

"No!" He snapped. "I wasn't sleeping with her!" He threw his hands in exasperation. "Why does everybody think that?"

"You know what, forget I ever said that," Sansa said and then changed the topic. "Have you eaten lunch?"

"Not yet."

"Well, you should've told me," Arya spoke up. "I could've bought you something from _The Burger Lab_."

"I didn't even know what time you'll arrive." He said. "And I didn't even know Sansa was coming."

Sansa scanned the fridge. "Would you like chicken?" She asked.

"No, and do not touch the chicken." Bran insisted. "Maybe the steak."

"Okay," Sansa said, then picked out the packaged porterhouse cut from the chiller. "You bought a porterhouse cut. Why?"

Bran sat on one of the barstools by the island counter. "Because it's two cuts for the price of one in _PearlMart_." He explained.

Both his sisters turned to him in confusion.

"If you cut the upper portion of the porterhouse, it's the Valyrian Strip steak cut," Bran continued. "If you cut the lower portion, it's the tenderloin or the filet mignon steak cut. And if I buy the Valyrian Strip and the Filet mignon in the _PearlMart_ separately, the cost is enough to buy two porterhouse steak cuts."

Sansa nodded. "Smart." She said as she took an apron from the rack in the kitchen and put it on. "I can't believe I never thought of that when we used to live here."

"Because you don't do the grocery shopping, Sansa," Arya reminded them. "Robb did that, and when he graduated, the responsibility fell to me. And I never gave two fucks about how much it costs because I only buy whatever you listed."

"Wait," Bran interrupted, turning to Sansa. "Are you gonna cook all of that?" He asked. "I just want the Valyrian Strip."

Sansa made a face at him. "Why didn't you say so?" She then took a knife and cut out the Valyrian Strip from the T-bone.

"Hey, I'll have the filet mignon then." Arya declared.

"Arya, you just ate." Sansa reminded their sister.

Arya shrugged. "Well, I'm hungry again."

Sansa rolled her eyes and cut out the tenderloin as well. "I can't believe you're treating me like your personal chef."

"You offered to cook." Arya brought up.

"For Bran, not you." Sansa pointed out as she seasoned the steaks in salt and pepper. "But since I'm already wearing the apron, might as well do it."

"Good," Arya smiled, then turned to Bran. "Now, where the fuck is the coffee maker?"

"You know where it is, Arya."

Sansa looked up as she switched on the induction stove and placed two cast-iron skillet pans on it. "You're pairing the filet mignon with coffee?"

Arya glared at her. "You can't fucking tell me what I can and can't do."

Sansa narrowed her eyes at Arya. "Do you want me to send Dad the pics?" She asked.

Arya paled, then snapped. "Don't you even fucking dare!"

"If you cross me, I will." Sansa threatened.

"Hey!" Bran interjected. "Will you both stop it?!" He scolded. "I'm hungry. And I don't wanna hear any of your squabbles."

Sansa shrugged. "Sorry about that." She apologized then poured oil in the cast iron skillet pans. "By the way, how do guys like these cooked?" She asked before placing the meats in.

"Well done." Arya blurted out. "I don't wanna see some pink, raw area when I cut into my steak."

"Med-well, at least," Bran replied. "Or to well done. Because if it's pinkish, it feels like I'm eating raw meat."

"You got it," Sansa said as she tossed cloves of garlic and some rosemary and thyme from the herb pots on the pans. "But you know, this is gonna take a while."

As they waited, Arya went back to making coffee as she waited for the coffee maker to go off. She then grabbed a mug from the cupboard and milk from the fridge.

"So, Bran," Sansa spoke up. "I wanna know more about Meera. What's so special about this girl that made you, a law-abiding, by-the-book person, break the mold?"

"What do you mean?" He frowned. "I didn't—"

"Dude," Arya interrupted. "You made us pluck out off-limit flowers from the conservatory for this girl. Obviously, something's up." She said as she poured milk into her coffee. "And it's not just because she loves winter roses."

Bran shrugged. "I—I don't know." He shook his head as he could feel himself turning red. "I can't explain it. I just…when I'm around, it's…" He faltered and scratched his head, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Butterflies in your stomach?" Sansa finished as she flipped the steaks. "And a feeling of being extremely happy you can scream?"

Bran nodded slowly. "Yeah, exactly like that."

"Aww," Sansa said giddily. "And I thought you were grim like Arya."

"Ex-fucking-cuse me?" Arya glared at her. "At least, I didn't have a long list of ex-boyfriends, in which two of them are psychopaths." She said, then drank her coffee.

Sansa took the steaks and transferred it to plates. "Why do you keep bringing that up?" She demanded. "It's all in the past." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, going back to Meera. You really like this girl. What's she like? How's she around people?"

"She's great," Bran said. "A people person, very hard-working, caring, I mean, I could go on, honestly. But…" He faltered.

"But what?" Sansa and Arya said unison.

"Is there a problem?" Arya asked.

"Well, I won't call him a problem," Bran corrected. "More like a nuisance. A pain in the backside kinda thing."

"Him?" Arya leaned on the island counter. "Go on."

"It's her boss." He revealed. "And it's either he's just really nosy about the people under him or he likes her and sees me as a threat."

"Wait," Arya interjected, finishing off her coffee. "Is this _Mr. Pride and Ego_, because Gwyn and Lyra mentioned something about him during Jorelle's party."

"Yeah, but can I please eat now?" He asked.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Sansa placed the plates on the counter for them. "Here's your Valyrian Strip," She turned to Arya. "And your filet mignon. Bon appétit."

Bran and Arya chugged down their steaks but resumed talking.

"Anyways, where were we?" He wondered.

"Mr. Pride and Ego." Sansa reminded him.

"Right, that's what they call him behind his back," Bran explained as he ate his lunch. "Because his pride and ego surpass probably _Brandon's Peak_—the tallest mountain in Westeros. Also, the second time I went to pick up Meera from work, he was clearly irritated that I was there again."

"Hmm, I don't like him already." Sansa declared.

"Well, you won't like him even more, when you hear his name," Bran guessed. "Tyrek Lannister."

"Oh, seven hells, no," Arya raised her fork with a sliced piece of meat sticking through. "His last name itself is a red flag. Stay away from them. But you know my main question about him: What's a Lannister doing up here?" She asked. "I thought they were too proud to travel further North."

"To show dominance," Bran answered. "That they're better than anyone, maybe?"

"Of course," Sansa said. "I should know that. I dated one of their blood. And his last name isn't even _Lannister_. But whatever the case," She changed the topic. "I still wanna meet Meera."

Arya made a face at her. "You can't just meet her when they're on a date." She countered. "Just barging in saying, _I'm Sansa, Bran's sister_. That'll be so stupid. You'll be interrupting and it destroys the atmosphere and the ambiance."

Sansa looked confused. "Arya, what in seven hells are you talking about?"

Bran cleared his throat. "Can I just please enjoy my Valyrian Strip?"

Arya finished her steak first, and she placed the plate in the dishwasher. "Right, let's do the flowers."

Sansa obliged and cut the strings that held the flowers in the bucket together. "So what time will you meet Meera?" She asked.

"When she gets off from work." He answered. "Probably five. But I'll start walking by four-thirty."

Sansa raised an eyebrow at him. "Walking?" She asked like she'd misheard him. "You're not driving your car?"

Bran shook his head. "Nope," He said. "That way, I can save gas money and reduce the carbon footprint. And Meera likes it better because we can walk Summer together."

Sansa's eyebrows went higher. "You're taking Summer with you?"

At that point, Arya snapped at their sister. "Will you lay off his business?" She argued. "It's their date. They'll decide what they want to do and you don't get to do the decisions."

"Won't Summer cause any distraction?" Sansa asked.

"Don't worry about that, sis," Bran assured. "Meera loves Summer, and I think he listens to her than to me. So, we're good."

After Arya and Sansa did the winter roses into a bouquet. What they did was beautiful, by the way. They used blue, black and white kraft paper and had it tidied up with a blue ribbon. It looked like it was bought in a flower shop when they just picked it in their property grounds. Also, it was nice to see his sisters working together for once rather than bicker and argue.

Once they finished, they spent the next three hours catching up in the living room with their dogs.

"I don't wanna do freelance designing," Arya brought up. "I'll just tire myself doing that while waiting for Bran to graduate and pass the boards."

"You're a licensed architect," Sansa reminded her as she scratched Lady's hide. "I've got friends who wanted to buy flats in uptown Winterfell and have them renovated to their liking. And you're like, _so what?_ That's in your field as well."

"No, you didn't tell me that." Arya argued. "All you ever told me was that Margaery bought a half-hectare parcel of land by the Mander River just outside Highgarden and doesn't know what to do with it. And I told her to turn it into a holiday home or a small hotel or something."

"Arya, potential clients are coming to you," Sansa pointed out. "But you're refusing them. If you want to keep your professional license without having projects of your own yet, you need to at least, attend seminars and conventions."

"I agree," Bran said. "You can attend seminars and conventions while waiting for me." He suggested. "You know, for CPD credits. According to what I've heard from Professor Bartimus, there's one in Harrenhal this summer."

"I know," Arya said. "It's a seminar for _Sustainable Architecture and Engineering Project Management_. And Jorelle had already registered me with her for it."

"Jorelle Mormont?" Bran asked. "I thought she works in _Stormbreaker Telecom_, in the Northern office right here in White Harbor."

"Yeah, but besides that," Arya informed. "She actually finished Electrical Engineering. And she's talked me into joining her and some other girl from Torrhen's Square. I don't remember her name, but I think she's Beren's cousin or something."

"Hmm," Bran thought about it. "I didn't know Jorelle's an electrical engineer by profession." He turned to Sansa. "Do you do that as well? To keep your license as an accountant?" He asked.

Sansa nodded. "Of course, I do." She said. "Robb does that too. It's encouraged in _Stark Industries_. You should do it too."

Arya sighed in frustration. "Since when did this become about me?"

"Because you're being stubborn," Sansa answered. "And you're wasting your talents. It'll take Bran a whole summer to review for the boards. That's another three months of you being unemployed."

"Not for long," Arya said. "When Bran passes the boards, we're gonna be business partners and we'll create a subsidiary from _Stark Industries_ on construction. Plan-design-build. Interiors, landscapes, case-studies, etc."

"Robb had already mentioned that to Mom and Dad," Sansa recalled. "They agreed to loan you for your business capital. But what will be your brand name?"

"Not _Brandon-the-Builder_," Arya suggested. "Or any other Brandons in the Stark family tree, including you." She jabbed a finger at Bran. "But we're still paying homage to him. I mean, he founded Winterfell, built the Wall and the Hightower, and also helped build Storm's End. But, come on. And it's not gonna be named Arya something either."

"That's good news, I guess." Bran considered it. "But if we're contracting projects, we'll need suppliers."

"Of course, we do." Arya agreed. "I have canvassed some potential suppliers, namely: _Glover Steel_ from Deepwood Motte, _Forrester Lumber_ from Ironrath, Fine and Coarse Aggregates from High Point, _Tallhart Cement Co._ from Torrhen's Square, _79 Sentinels Glass_ from the Rills."

Sansa frowned. "Have you ever considered getting suppliers in the south?" She asked. "From the Riverlands or the Vale, at least?"

Arya shrugged. "Who the fuck needs southrons when you have everything you need among fellow Northerners?"

Bran snorted. "It's like a Westerosi Northern Alliance."

Both Arya and Sansa turned to Bran, like he had just given them an idea.

"What?" He asked.

Sansa smirked. "I like the _Alliance_ bit," She said. "Let's keep that."

"You don't get to decide, Sansa," Arya argued, then sighed in frustration. "And why the fuck are we talking about businesses right now?" She said like she resented the idea of it. "We came to White Harbor because of the flowers, not to discuss future suppliers, for fuck's sake!"

"Arya, calm down," Sansa assured. "We have delivered the flowers. All that needs to happen is for Bran to give it to Meera." She pulled out a small card from her small purse and handed it to Bran. "Here, write her a short note to make it extra special."

Bran took the empty card from Sansa and wrote short message, _Winter roses in the break of summer. I found some for you. How about that?.:)_ — _Bran_.

Afterwards, he had hid it beneath the bouquet, between the stems of the roses, before his sisters could read it as he was sure they would tease him about it.

By four, Bran got ready. And he refused any wardrobe advice from his sisters because he didn't want his outfit to be over the top and getting attention. The flower bouquet of winter roses in summer itself is an eye-catcher. That's why he wanted to keep it simple.

He left the penthouse before his sisters did. Bran carried the bouquet of winter roses in one hand while holding the other end of Summer's harness leash in the other hand.

Wex was in the lobby when Bran got out of the elevator. Of course, he saw him and Bran mentally cursed.

"Hello, Bran—ooh, flowers!" Wex greeted. "I'll bet my job these are for your lady friend, right?" Then he frowned. "Where did you get winter roses?" He asked.

Bran sighed. "It's a long story."

"Well, have a great date." Wex grinned, then winked. "If you know what I mean."

"It's not like that." He argued. "And it's not what I'm after."

Wex shrugged. "Right, but still, if you get laid, good on ya!"

_Oh, gods_, Bran thought. He tried not to think about it as he got out of the doors and started walking.

Bran got several stares from people as he walked towards _The Northern Herald_. And he knew it was because of his dog, Summer and the bouquet of winter roses in his hand. A few even asked him either what type of dog breed is Summer or where did he get winter roses in summer.

Once Bran entered the lobby, he spotted Tyrek Lannister immediately. Partly because he was walking towards him and he looked pissed that Bran was there again.

Tyrek was in a suit, with his chin up like he owned the place. _Typical_, Bran thought.

"Hello, Brandon," Tyrek greeted with a forced smile. "You're here for Meera?"

Summer barked at him, but Tyrek ignored him and kept his distance.

"Um, yeah," He replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your date," Tyrek said. "But unfortunately, she'll be working overtime today."

"Really?" Bran pulled out his phone and scanned for text messages, but there were none. "She didn't leave any messages."

"Well, she's busy." Tyrek insisted. "That's why."

"But—" Bran started to say, but Summer was restraining from his harness leash trying to get to Tyrek so he had to pull him back. "Summer, stop it."

"Dogs are allowed inside," Tyrek informed. "But barking dogs are not tolerated."

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "He's not usually like this."

"You should keep that dog under control," Tyrek said as he gestured for some security people towards them. "These guys will escort you out."

"My apologies, Mr. Lannister," Bran apologized again. "But—"

Tyrek snatched the bouquet from Bran.

"Hey!" He started to say.

"These are for Meera, right?" Tyrek guessed. "They're lovely! Don't worry, I'll give it to her and tell her they're from you." He assured. "Would you like me to deliver a message?"

Bran stayed quiet, not knowing what to say.

"And one more thing," Tyrek said, as he stepped forward. "You're hoping to go steady with Meera, aren't you?" He snorted. "Well, I'm going to give you a wake-up call, Stark. You and Meera? It's not gonna happen. She's already up there with a wonderful job and you're…still in school." He looked at him with disgust. "You already aren't on the same level, so don't get your hopes up."

It took all Bran's willpower not to punch him in his face and instead, he just kept restraining Summer from attacking Tyrek.

"She's not going to be with someone like you." He insisted.

Tyrek chuckled. "Excuse me? Unlike you, I can actually take care of her." He said. "What do you got to offer? The fact that you're the governor's son? Please, you got nothing but your last name."

"But unlike you, I don't use it to gain power and intimidate anyone." Bran corrected. "You're nothing but an egoistic and selfish person. One day, it will bite you in the arse."

Tyrek glared at him, then gestured for the guards. "Get him out!" He yelled.

Bran got out of there with Summer. He didn't know what else to do, so he decided to walk to the _Starkgrand Coffee_.

Drinking coffee always calmed him down. He picked a table outside the café. Not the ones by the street, but the ones by the back entrance with a garden and a water fountain.

At the moment, there aren't that many people. It was only him and Summer. He had ordered two of his usual coffee, the caramel macchiato.

He tried to compensate for everything that happened. As mad as Bran was at Tyrek for taking the flowers his sisters had picked for him, he was also hurt by the words he had said. And he couldn't help but shed a few tears in between sips of coffee.

**MEERA**

Friday was usually Meera's busiest day throughout the week, as she does all she can to not be able to bring her work home and just relax in the weekend, and maybe visit her parents in Greywater Watch.

And also because Meera forgot to charge her phone the night before, it was on a low battery by morning so she just left it at home. She figured she would just clock out by five and ride down the elevator to meet Bran in the lobby.

But no, that did not happen at all.

At about five minutes to five in the afternoon, she heard a knock on her cubicle. Meera turned from her computer screen and saw Tyrek with a bouquet of winter roses in his hands.

"Um, you need anything, sir?" She asked.

"Meera, that's enough working." He said. "It's almost five. Also," He gestured to the flowers in his hands. "These are for you."

"Wow," Meera couldn't help but smile, not because it was Tyrek who gave her flowers, but because it's winter roses—her favorite flowers. "They're beautiful."

"Aww, Meera," Meera could hear Gwyn swooning over in her cubicle. "And they're your faves as well. That's so sweet."

Meera took the winter roses from Tyrek. She searched the bouquet for a card, but there wasn't one. "Who's it from?" She asked.

"From me, of course." Tyrek said.

Her smile disappeared and turned to him. "Why'd you buy me flowers?"

"Because you deserve flowers." He replied.

Meera was starting to be suspicious of him. In the four years that she'd worked in the Northern Herald, Tyrek had never given anyone flowers. _And winter roses in the summer?_ She thought. _Where did he get some?_

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Where did you get winter roses?"

Tyrek shrugged. "From the local flower shop." He replied. "Several blocks from here."

Meera shook her head. "I know these aren't from that flower shop. I was there yesterday, and they don't have winter roses." She explained. "In fact, there aren't any winter roses on the market right now because we're heading into summer." She frowned at him. "So where did you get them?"

It took a long time for Tyrek to speak up. "Is that really important?"

"No, but I want to know." She demanded, then squeezed the stems above the blue ribbon and felt something different.

Meera dug through the kraft papers and found a small card with a hand-written note. It read: _Winter roses in the break of summer. I found some for you. How about that?.:)_ — _Bran_.

It made her smile knowing it was actually from Bran, but it also made her mad at Tyrek for taking credit for Bran's flowers.

She glared at him. "These aren't from you," She said. "They're from Bran. Why are you saying it's from you?"

"Well, I—" Tyrek started to say.

"Where's Bran?" She demanded.

"He left." Tyrek said.

"He left or you had him kicked out?"

"His dog was barking continuously in the lobby so he had to leave."

"Oh, gods," Meera cussed, then fixed her stuff.

"Meera, listen to me," Tyrek spoke up.

"Would you please, for once, leave me alone?" She snapped back.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight."

Meera rolled her eyes at him as she shouldered her bag and held the bouquet winter roses. "Do you think I'd go out with you after what you just did? I'm not that stupid. I have to go find him." She said as she walked out of her cubicle towards the biometric fingerprint time clock recorder.

Tyrek followed after her, of course. "Meera, wait." He said. "You're not really going after him, right? Just calm down and—"

She scanned her fingerprint to clock-out. "You can't stop me. And this is your fault." She said as she headed towards the elevators.

Tyrek snorted. "My fault?" He repeated. "It's not my fault he can't control his own dog." He grabbed her wrist. "You'd really prefer that…geeky college boy over a real man like me?"

Meera shook her hand from his grip. "Bran is a real man, in every way you are not." She said before entering the elevator.

Thankfully, Tyrek didn't follow her. Meera took a cab and told the cabbie to take her to the _Aquamarine_. She was still overwhelmed by everything that happened. Tyrek had crossed the line. She knew he was arrogant and egoistic, but she didn't know he would go that far, to claim that the winter roses were from him when really it was from Bran.

_Bran, oh gods_, Meera thought. She was worried about him. He must be upset and was probably drinking coffee by now. During Jorelle's birthday party, Bran had mentioned that he usually drinks coffee when he's upset because he didn't like drinking liquor. And even though they have a coffee maker, he was always too lazy to make coffee, except in the mornings, so he'd just go out and buy coffee in the nearest _Starkgrand_.

Then something in her snapped. Bran won't be in the _Aquamarine_, he'd be in _Starkgrand Coffee._ Sure it was safe to check him with Wex, the doorman first, but Meera just had a strong feeling Bran would be in a coffee shop.

She told the cabbie to take her to the _Starkgrand Coffee_ near the _Aquamarine_ instead and he obliged.

Meera entered the café and scanned the growing crowd, but Bran wasn't there. She looked at the tables outside by the street. Nothing.

She was starting to worry, so she went for the tables outside by the garden and Lo and behold! There he was, on the farthest and most hidden table, alone with his dog, Summer. And he had two cups of coffee with him.

Summer kept whining and tried putting his paws on Bran's lap like he was trying to make his master feel better.

Meera approached him, but Summer saw her first and he barked excitedly.

Bran didn't seem to notice her at first as he had his attention at Summer. "What now?"

"Bran," She called then smiled at him.

His eyes widened when he saw her, then straightened and took a deep breath. "Um, uh…" He faltered as he hastily stood up from his seat.

"I figured you were here." She guessed. "After how Tyrek treated you and kicked you out of the building—I'm sorry about that."

"None of it is your fault," He assured, gently patting his dog on his head. "Summer was barking too much, mostly at him. So don't blame yourself."

Meera sighed. "Anyways, thanks for the flowers." She said. "They're lovely."

"I'm glad you like them."

"Like them?" She repeated. "I love them! But where did you get them?"

"They're freshly picked from our grounds." He explained. "But I didn't really pick them, my sisters did. And they did that too," He gestured to the bouquet in her hands. "With the ribbons and all."

She raised an eyebrow at him, thinking he was kidding. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're that meticulous." He added, but he still looked worried, like something else was bothering him.

"Hey," Meera placed the bouquet on the table. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah," He said, scratching the back of his head. "I—I'm good."

She snorted. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar?"

But he still stayed quiet and he seemed so deep in thought.

Meera nudged him. "Bran, what's wrong?" She asked. "Did Tyrek say anything? Did he threaten you?"

"No, I mean, not really," He admitted. "But—"

"So he did." She huffed in frustration. "That bastard just won't take the hint. I'll probably resign—"

"No!" He interjected. "No, I won't allow you to do that. You love your job. I don't want you to stop doing what you love for me. You just have a big-headed boss, that's it."

"What did Tyrek say to you?" She demanded.

He gave her a sad expression before looking away.

"Bran," She called. "What did he say?"

"He's got a point, you know." He whimpered. "You're definitely way up in the hierarchy and I'm…in the bottom."

"No, you're not." She insisted. "And do you really think I care about some hierarchy bullcrap?"

"Meera—"

Meera cut him off by doing the most stupid thing she's ever done in her life so far. She cupped his face and kissed him full on his lips.

When she let go, Bran stayed absolutely still. And he had a terrified expression written all over his face.

"Um," She pursed her lips and could feel herself turning red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I—didn't mean to—"

"Hey, it's fine," Bran assured as he slowly approached her. "It's just…I—I've never kissed a girl before."

It made Meera even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" He asked.

"For stealing your first kiss."

Bran reached out his hand and pushed part of her curly hair behind her ear. "It's okay," He reassured.

They locked eyes for a moment. Then he leaned down until their faces were only inches apart.

The strange part was Meera never restrained him, she allowed him to come closer until he finally closed the small space between them as his lips brushed softly against hers.

Meera flinched in surprise, but melted into it and kissed him back. She forgot what it felt to kiss someone again. She had made out with a few guys when she was in college, but none of those felt as good as it did now.

Suddenly, Summer barked and scampered around them. And because Bran was holding the other end of his dog's harness leash, it was literally entangling them by their legs.

Before they could both react, Bran stumbled backward. And since he was holding her, he unintentionally pulled her down with him. He fell to his back on the patio and Meera landed on top of him.

They stared at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Bran turned to Summer, who had just sat before them, wagging his tail.

"Summer, you're embarrassing me." Bran said.

"So, are we still on later?" She asked.

He chuckled. "Definitely."

Meera smiled. "Okay, let me just—" She slipped her feet through Summer's entangled leash. "—get out of this thing." She then stood and helped him up.

"Thanks," He said, he cleared his throat. "So, dinner at the _CARNEval_?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why the CARNEval?" She asked.

"Because we get to cook all kinds of meat ourselves," He explained. "Before we see _Episode V_. And we get a discount with the VIP card."

"Alright," She agreed. "But we shouldn't always eat out, you know. I can cook for us, the same way you cooked for me days ago."

Bran nodded. "Sure, you can do that next week."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'm gonna cook for you tomorrow."

"Fine, Monday then." She offered. "My place. You just have to ignore my brother and his plants."

Bran chuckled. "Deal," He said, then held out his free hand. "But for now, let's have dinner."  
Meera smiled as she took his hand. "Good, because I'm starving."

They held hands as they walked to the nearest _CARNEval_ branch. Bran had interlocked his fingers with hers and gently squeezed it for reassurance.

She caught him staring at her with a smile on his face.

"What?"

He blushed and looked away. "Nothing."

Meera elbowed him and gave him a playful smirk.

"No, really, I'm just…on cloud nine right now." He admitted.

Once they entered the _CARNEval_, they were greeted by a hostess.

"Welcome to the _CARNEval_," The hostess said. "Where everyday is a festival of proteins. Table for two?"

"Yes, please," Bran said. "And also, the largest dog seat you have."

The hostess stepped away from the podium and nearly jumped backwards when she saw Summer. "Oh, that's the third one today."

"The third one?" Meera wondered.

"Yes, ma'am." The hostess replied, then gestured for them to follow her. "Right this way please."

They were given a table by a glass window and in a quieter spot (Thank the gods!). One of the staff replaced one of the four chairs with a dog seat for Summer.

Bran, being the gentleman that he is, pulled a chair and guided her to her seat.

Meera giggled. "You didn't have to," She said. "I can manage."

"Nah, I want to." He insisted before sitting across her and helped Summer onto the dog seat.

They were each handed the menu once they settled.

Suddenly, Summer started howling. And other dogs in the restaurant howled as well.

"Uh, Summer," Bran said, gently stroking his hide as he hushed him up. "You're not supposed to howl inside, buddy."

Other dog owners in the restaurant reprimanded their dogs as well.

"Oh, fuck." Bran cursed.

"What is it?" She asked.

"My sisters are literally four tables from us." He explained. "And it explains the howling. Summer recognized his sisters were close as well."

Meera turned her back and saw what Bran meant. Four tables away, she could see two girls with two dogs. One of the girls had dark brown hair and grey eyes, for which she recognized as Arya. The other girl had auburn hair and blue eyes like Bran's. She had no doubt that it was Bran's other sister, Sansa Stark.

She remembered Sansa when she was still attending UWH in college. She was the sort of, it girl back then. People were in awe of her when she passed the halls. But unlike the popular girls you see in movies, Sansa is actually very nice and friendly.

Arya and Sansa smiled and waved at her. Meera didn't know what else to do so she waved back at them.

Meera faced Bran again and he had an annoyed expression on his face.

"Your sisters seem nice." She said. "And does everyone in your family really have dogs?"

"No, just me and my siblings." He replied. "And our one cousin."

"Now, I understood what the hostess said about Summer being the third one today." She recalled. "Your sisters brought the first two."

"Okay, let's just order our cuts," Bran suggested. "And our sides and drinks."

Bran ordered a beef skirt steak cut and two venison flank steak cuts for Summer (because he had a large appetite than Bran), while Meera had the pork porterhouse. As for their sides, Bran went for garlic bread and Meera went for garlic butter potatoes. And they ordered cucumber lemonade for their drinks.

Once they were served their steak cuts, they turned on the grill on the table.

Meera marinated their steak cuts before putting it on the grill.

"So," She said as she placed down the tongs. "You grow winter roses in your backyard?"

"In our conservatory," He explained. "This greenhouse that our grandfathers used to store fruit-bearing plants in the winter. My Dad's sister, my Aunt Lyanna loves winter roses. She planted some in the conservatory and maintained it until she died."

"She died?" Meera repeated.

"Yeah, a car accident in a blizzard." He recalled. 'That's the only thing our dad ever told us of how she died. No details. And then my Mom maintained her winter roses. Now, it's mostly off-limits."

"Off-limits?" She raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you manage to pick some?"

"Uh, right," He scratched his head. "About that, I sort of asked a favor from my sisters. And they did the picking."

Her eyes widened. "You _what_?" She said in disbelief. "You were stealing from your aunt's roses?"

Bran opened his mouth, but no words came out. He then sighed. "I just wanted to impress you with something. I'm not like the typical guys. I can't impress you with muscle, so I have to do something else."

"Still, you didn't have to steal your aunt's flowers to impress me," Meera smiled. "You already have. With the one distinct muscle that you have," She reached out her hand across the table and touched her index finger on his right temple. "Right here. And honestly, who else would have discovered we can use water as fuel?"

Bran started to smile. "Well, actually, the brain isn't a muscle," He corrected. "It's a—sorry."

Meera must've been giving him a glare because he stopped mid-sentence and apologized. _It's so cute_, she thought.

Just as she flipped the steaks on the grill with the tongs, Bran's sisters came by their table with their dogs, who are just as large as Summer.

"Hey, guys." Sansa greeted. "It's such a surprise to see you here."

Summer had then leaped from his dog seat, across Bran's lap and on to the floor and began playing with his sisters' dogs.

"Meera," Bran said gestured to Sansa. "This is my sister, Sansa," Then he pointed to the dog whose leash she was holding. "That's her dog, Lady."

"Hello, Sansa," Meera greeted, not knowing what else to say.

Sansa smiled. "It's great to finally meet you, Meera." She said holding out her hand for a shake.

Meera shook Sansa's hand. "Likewise," She said. "I remembered you being one of the _Mermaids_ in college."

The _Mermaids_ were what they call the people in the UWH cheerleading team and because most of the members were girls. There were some guys too, but almost every guy in the squad played for the other team.

"Yes, she was." Bran continued. "And you remember Arya, right?"

"Of course," She replied.

"Hi, Meera," Arya acknowledged.

"And that's Nymeria." Bran pointed at Arya's dog.

"Nymeria?" Meera repeated. "Like the Rhoynar princess?"

"Yeah," Arya beamed. "I would've named her Visenya, but Nymeria has a nice ring to it."

Sansa frowned at Meera. "You look really familiar though," She noticed. "I think I've seen you somewhere."

"Meera went to UWH in college," Bran explained. "She was in Robb's year."

"Wait, were you in _The Mermen Chronicle_?" Sansa asked. "They interviewed us for the _Mermaids'_ back-to-back wins in the cheerleading competition. It's either that or the UWH Archery Team."

_The Mermen Chronicle_ is the University of White Harbor's school paper produced by the student press of the campus. It was one of the university's media outlets run by students, along with _The Conch Horn_, the university's radio.

"Both, actually." Meera blurted out. "I'm one of the few girls who got in."

"Oh, I knew it," Sansa said. "No wonder Bran likes you very much—"

"Wait," Arya interrupted, and it was like she shoved her sister aside. "You were in the Archery Team?" Her eyes lit up. "No way! That is so cool. I was on the fencing team."

"Yes, I know," She said. "I went with a friend and watched your championship match for an article in the Sports section of _The Northern Herald_. That match with Dickon Tarly was a landslide and you won a gold medal."

"It wasn't just my victory, it's for us Northerners as well." Arya insisted.

Bran then cleared his throat.

"Oh, right," Sansa said. "We didn't mean to interrupt you guys. But as much as we like to chat, we need to go."

"We're already interrupting." Arya said. "It's too late for that. And yeah, we need to go because you got some explaining to do." She then gave her sister a smug smile.

Sansa ignored her sister. "Anyways, it was really nice meeting you, Meera." She turned to her brother. "You take care of her, alright?"

"I will," He promised.

Sansa gave Bran a quick hug. "See you tomorrow, little brother."

Arya took a piece of garlic bread from Bran's plate.

"Hey!" He complained. "Don't take my garlic bread."

Arya ignored him and took a bite from the piece she stole, then playfully punched Bran's arm. "See you tomorrow, Lil' bro."

They waved at her one more time before heading out of the restaurant and Summer went back to his dog seat.

Meera turned back to Bran. "Your sisters seem nice."

"They are," Bran agreed. "But they're usually not like that. Normally, they'd be butting heads."

"Fights are normal among siblings." She pointed out as she poured sauces on the steaks.

"Not Arya and Sansa," He insisted. "It's like the _Dance of Dragons_."

"What?" She blinked. "The _Dance of Dragons_ is a civil war caused by two siblings who bickered on who should rule Westeros after the death of their father. And it was back in the days when our form of government was still absolute monarchy rather than a democratic republic. But I don't see how that applies to your sisters."

"Well, it's not exactly a whole country, just with the entire Stark Manor, household and staff." He explained. "We don't take sides, it's more like, we're restraining them from killing each other."

"Oh my gods." She gasped. "Is it really that bad?"

"The following day, you'd hear the staff gossip about it." Bran continued. "And I'm quoting them, _the girls are fighting again_. One will say, _what happened this time?_ And then someone will answer, _the younger one threw a ceramic vase aimed at the older one's head, but luckily she was able to duck and it hit the wall behind her instead_."

"Holy shit!" Meera exclaimed. "I didn't know your sisters can be that violent."

"Yeah, but ironically, if one of them gets in trouble, the other one steps in to defend them." He pointed out. "I mean, Arya threatened Joffrey with her sabre—it's what you call the fencing sword—when she found out he was physically abusing her. It's just so…weird."

"It's a sibling thing," Meera assured as she removed the steaks from the grill. "Jojen and I are like that. But we don't get violent. I normally just hit him with a pillow."

"But whatever the case," He said. "It's fun having siblings around. Until they embarrass you or sell you out to your parents, or played a prank on you."

Meera placed Bran's beef skirt steak on his plate. "Here you go," She said, then picked up the venison flank steaks with the tongs. "Um, does Summer eat his steaks whole or—?"

"No, I'll slice it to bite sizes," He said, holding out an extra plate. "Eating it whole might cause bloating."

She placed the venisons on the plate, to which Summer lowered his head on it and sniffed.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Bran said, gently pushed Summer's snout away from the plate. "I'll slice it first before you eat it." He said as he took the plate close to him.

Summer complained by whining. _I'm hungry, I want food!_ He seemed to say.

"Calm down," He assured as he sliced the grilled venisons into bite-sized cubes. "You'll get your food."

"Don't worry, Summer," Meera reached out her hand across the table and scratched Summer's neck. "You'll eat soon."

"Here you go, bud." Bran said as he placed the bite-sized venison into the dog seat's built-in feeder.

Summer immediately munched on the food.

They started eating their steaks.

"So," Meera started. "Going back to the siblings and pranks. There are seven of you, right? I'm guessing the prank wars are wild."

"Oh, yeah," He confirmed before chewing. "Definitely. April Fools are the worst. You'll have to be alert when that day comes. There could be booby traps set anywhere so you have to be careful where you step."

"That sounds dangerous."

He nodded. "To a degree, yes, it is."

"But it's a friendly prank, and no one got hurt?" She asked.

"Well, mostly, the pranks pulled were, putting powder on a hairdryer or cracking an egg on someone's hair or a pie to the face or sprayed by water-guns or doused with slime or glitter bombs and jumpscares, that kinda thing. But Arya went too far this year that my brothers forfeited in the usual April Fools prank war."

"They forfeited?" Meera repeated. "What made them back-out?"

"Early morning, we all woke up to Sansa's deafening scream," He recalled. "She got out of her bathroom in a towel with green hair. Turns out, Arya put green dye in her shampoo bottle. After Mom and Dad went to work, Arya offered to cook breakfast for us. And I think everyone forgot it was April Fool's day because we were like, _okay, cool_. Sansa never came down because she was busy trying to wash off the dye, so it was just us boys who ate. She cooked omelettes. The first few bites we were like, _hmm, this is good_, and then the next seconds later, we heard our stomach grumbling at the same time. Then we all raced to our bathrooms, cursing. Turns out, she put laxative powder in the omelette."

"What?!" Meera exclaimed. She didn't know Arya was a prankster, and the ones she pulled were pretty impressive. But, of course, it went over the line. "Your sister's not one to mess with, I'll give her that. But did she ever got in trouble with your parents?"

"Of course," He said. "They were furious. They grounded her, which didn't really make sense because Arya was and still is unemployed—she's waiting for me to graduate. All she had to do to make up for giving us diarrhea was to help our gardeners prune shrubs on the grounds for a few days. Pruning shrubs to her is just like sculpting and I think you know that she's artsy and likes doing all that stuff. So her punishment isn't really a punishment, at least for her."

"Pruning shrubs," She snorted. "Jojen will like that punishment."

Meera was very sure about it. Ever since Jojen started college, he was all about plants. He rarely went out and socialized because he was busy pruning and grafting the plants that he had.

Bran nodded. "I think so too." He said. "Anyways, thank the gods our Mom is a doctor, so she was able to help us. But we were mostly in bed and the bathroom all day."

Then all of a sudden, Summer barked, making them turn to him. His dog feeder was already empty.

"Oh, you're done," Bran said, then gently patted his head. "Good boy."

As Bran went back to his plate, Summer reached out his paw to Bran's sleeve and whined and gave him the _puppy-dog eyes_ effect. _But I want more food_, he seemed to say.

Bran sighed. "You're lucky I ordered two cuts for you." He said as he refilled his dog feeder with the second venison flank steak he had sliced in bite-sizes, to which Summer gnawed immediately.

"Take it easy, bud."

After eating, Bran insisted on paying.

"You don't have to do this." She tried arguing.

"Oh, come on," He said as he placed inside the credit card in the bill holder. "Yesterday was your treat. Today is my turn. And besides, I have this." He then took the VIP card that had a family discount.

Meera reluctantly had him pay for both their meals, before walking to the _Aquamarine_.

As they walked, Bran took her free hand again and held it. She smiled when he did and it felt like what they were doing was a scene in a romantic movie.

As they entered the lobby, of course, the doorman, Wex Pyke was there.

"Good evening, Ms. Reed, Mr. Stark," Wex greeted. "Ooh, flowers. I knew you were gonna give it to her."

Bran made a face at him. "Wex, please."

Wex raised his hands in surrender. "Oh, sorry." He apologized, then rummaged through the small fridge under his desk at the reception. "And by the way, your sisters told me to give you something." He pulled out a brown paper bag with the logo of _The Burger Lab_ on it and gave it to Bran.

"What is this for?" Bran asked.

Wex crouched again and pulled out a cardboard drink holder with two caramel fudge milkshakes on them, and it had the logo of _Starkgrand Coffee_, which he also handed to Bran.

"I don't know," Wex answered. "I didn't open it. Their only instructions were to give it to you and Ms. Reed when you return."

Meera took the milkshakes as Bran's hands were already full.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Bran said. "Are they still here? Or did they say anything about where they were going?"

"Oh, no, they already left." Wex answered. "They said they were going back to Winterfell."

As they rode the elevator up towards the penthouse, Meera asked the question. "So, what do you think your sisters are up to this time?"

He shook his head. "I don't know." He declared. "And I don't think I want to know. But it's a miracle that they're not on each other's throats at the moment."

Bran removed Summer's harness leash and the dog sprinted to the kitchen.

Judging from the lights that weren't turned on when they entered, it meant Bran's roommate, Beren Tallhart still hadn't been home.

There was a scratching sound and Summer's whining coming from the kitchen. It made them exchanged suspicious looks.

"That does not sound good," Meera said. "Better check it out."

Bran led the way and Meera followed behind him, only to find Summer tapping and scratching the automatic feeder.

When Summer saw them, he barked and continued tapping.

"You have got to be kidding me," Bran sighed. "You're hungry again? Summer, you just ate."

"All that walking probably made him hungry." She guessed.

According to Bran, the control to the automatic feeder his sister Arya had bought was connected to an app on his phone, complete with a reminder on when to turn it on and how many ounces of dog food should be released from the automatic dispenser. It also had two dispensers and two feeders, one for the dog food and the other for water. And Meera thought it was probably very expensive, to begin with.

Bran placed the brown paper bag on the kitchen counter and reluctantly pulled out his phone. Sure enough, the dispenser released a small amount of dog food, to which Summer excitedly munched on.

She placed the milkshakes on the counter as well. "How much did you feed him?" She asked.

"Eight ounces," He replied. "That's equivalent to one cup."

Meera opened her mouth to say something, but Bran raised his hand and stopped her.

"I know what you're gonna say," He interrupted. "It's just a small amount, but he's already eaten enough for the day."

She shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say." She pointed out. "I just think…that you're spoiling him too much. Please don't be mad." She quickly added.

Bran sighed. "I think I _am_ spoiling him." He confirmed. "Godsdammit! Dogs and their puppy-dog eyes and whining. It gets me everytime."

"Relax, okay?" She assured. "Just give him something to drink. He needs liquid to push down all the food he ate."

"Of course," He said and browsed through his phone again. The other dispenser released water onto the other feeder. "There you go, bud."

Summer occasionally drank from the water feeder before going back to the food.

"Alright," Bran spoke up. "Now that that's taken care of, what in seven hells is in this paper bag?" He wondered as he tore open the brown paper bag.

It turned out to be a large-sized _Bucket o' Fries_ from _The Burger Lab_. And by large-sized, it meant it was the 1000 grams fry bucket with five flavors and a dipping sauce. It also had a unique style of packaging because the bucket was divided into five equal sections with the five the flavored fries and the dipping sauce being placed in the middle. It also had tiny flags on each section of the fries with the label of its flavor. The flavors on the _Bucket o' Fries_ they had were: sour cream & onion, spicy barbeque, pizza, ranch, and chili cheese.

The _Bucket o' Fries_ also had this scented hot pink colored sticky note on the lid. Meera knew it was a scented sticky note paper because Gwyn Whitehill had a similar pad on her desk in _The Northern Herald_.

The note had cursive penmanship of one of those glittery purple inks. It read: _Enjoy the fries and milkshakes! Have fun on your movie date night! XOXO Sansa & Arya_.

"Aww, it's so sweet of them." Meera remarked.

"Well," Bran said. "Al least, I don't have to microwave popcorn anymore. But it's just that—they're sort of…interfering."

"Cut your sisters some slack," She said. "They're just being the older sisters that they are. Trust me, I'd do the same for Jojen."

"I guess, but sometimes they can be extra and go over the top." He pointed out. "Take the winter roses for example. I asked them to pick five and they picked a dozen."

Meera chuckled and picked the scented sticky note and got a closer look at it. "Wow, this hand-writing looks like it was printed. Whose penmanship is this?" She asked.

"Sansa wrote that." He answered. "Because she's fond of writing in cursive. And also because there's no way Arya would have owned a scented pink sticky note and a pen with glittery purple ink."

"Let's just watch Episode V," She reminded him. "Before it gets late."

Bran nodded. "Right, of course," He grabbed one of the milkshakes and handed it to her. "That's for you." Then he took the _Bucket o' Fries_ and headed to the living room.

Meera followed after him and sat on the couch next to him.

Bran turned on the flatscreen and browsed Webiflex for the movie. Then suddenly, it crashed. The flatscreen went black and the words _Maintenance Mode_ were displayed. Below it were symbols of wrenches and gears. And directly below it was a short message and it read: _We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Webiflix is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance and upgrade but will return shortly. Thank you for your patience._

"You have got to be kidding me." Bran huffed. "Webiflex picked _now_ to upgrade? Really? This is BS." He turned to Meera. "You know what, we'll just watch it on DVD." He stood and went for the stairs. "I'll be right back."

As Bran was upstairs, Summer came to the couch. But he seemed to be hesitating to climb up since Bran wasn't there so she reached out her hand and called out to him.

"Come here, buddy." Meera said, patting on the space next to her.

That's when Summer climbed up the couch and rested his head on her lap.

Meera stroke his hide, which he seemed to like because he wagged his tail. "You must be full now, huh?" She guessed. "You ate a lot today."

"I got it!" Bran spoke up as he came back downstairs, holding out a DVD. "It had been a long time since I last played this." He frowned when he saw Summer by Meera's side. "He's not there because of the fries, right?"

"He'd probably be sniffing the bucket, but nope." She replied. "And I think he's full."

Bran played the DVD and it started displaying the trailers, promotions and all those crap you can never skip before reaching the main menu.

"I'm so sorry about this." Bran apologized as he sat down next to her.

"Why are you apologizing?" She frowned. "It's not your fault Webiflix is under maintenance."

"I know, but still."

Meera narrowed her eyes at him. "Look, I'm having the best day so far, and I'm not gonna let your negative energy ruin it."

Bran smiled. "You're having the best day?"

"Of course," She shrugged. "I received winter roses—my favorite flowers—in the break of summer. And I get to kiss the guy I really like."

"Would you like that to happen again?" He asked with a smirk.

Meera raised an eyebrow at him, then crooked a finger, motioning for him to come closer.

Bran faced her direction, with a hint of a smile. He then reached out his hand and touched her cheek before leaning closer, closing the space between them as his lips brushed softly over hers.

She kissed him back, of course. The feel of his lips against hers made her heart beat faster against her chest.

By then, Summer seemed to understand what was going on and jumped down from the couch he was on before transferring to the armchair adjacent to the couch.

Suddenly, his lips didn't feel as gentle anymore. It was pressing hot on hers so she took advantage of the situation and parted her lips and tasted him with her tongue desirously. Bran flinched in surprise, but eventually did the same and soon enough they were exploring each other's tongues. And he tasted like the steak they had just eaten from the _CARNEval._

Meera remembered something all of a sudden, and gently pushed back. "Wait, wait," She said, catching her breath. "We have to promise not to make out when the movie plays, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Bran answered, before pulling her face closer to him and caught her mouth back into a kiss.

Meera giggled as she kissed him back.

One of Bran's hands went to the back of her neck and the other on her back. Meera's hands settled on his shoulders. He pulled her closer making her wrap her arms around his neck. She seemed to get the idea and climbed onto his lap, straddling him.

They continued kissing and exploring tongues as both Bran's hands went down to her waists, to her hips and then gripped her thighs, making her moan into the kiss.

Things started heating up until they heard the main doors opening. It made them broke free from each other and Meera sat back beside him.

Beren came into view and stopped at his tracks when he saw them.

"Hello, Beren." Meera greeted.

"Oh, hi Meera, Bran." Beren held up his hands. "Don't worry, I won't be long, okay?" He assured as he went up the staircase. "I'm just gonna change and then you can carry on with whatever you're doing."

"Where are you going?" Bran asked.

"The_ Old Mint_," Beren yelled back. "I thought the whole free and unlimited tequila shots was a one-time thing. Who knew they do that every Friday?" He went back downstairs in a different shirt and had a leather jacket slung on his shoulder. "I would've gone there since freshman year if I had known!"

"If you break anything again, I swear—" Bran started to say.

"I won't," Beren promised as he opened the main door. "You guys have fun! And no sex on the couch, it's where I'll sleep later." He said before shutting the door behind him.

As Beren left, Meera turned to Bran.

"Beren sleeps on the couch?" She asked. "I thought he has his own room."

"He does," Bran said. "But he'll be too drunk to go upstairs. Worst case scenario, he'd fall trying to get to his room and break a bone or something. So he settles for the couch." He cleared his throat and placed his arm on the backrest behind Meera. "Now, where were we?" He asked, then moved closer to kiss her again.

Meera swatted his face away from her. "Let's just watch the movie already." She said, pointing to the flatscreen. "It's already on the main menu."

"Come on," He pleaded. "Just a peck?"

She smiled, then cupped his chin and gave him a kiss on his lips. "There. Now, the movie."

Bran nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He then took the flatscreen's remote control from the coffee table and pressed play.

As they watched the movie, they ate the fries from the bucket Bran's sisters had bought for them. Meera had asked her questions and occasional spoilers as usual, and Bran diligently answered her but refused to give any spoilers at all.

"Oh my god!" She shrieked. "Is that Obi-Wan? Is he like a ghost now?"

"It's called a force spirit," He explained. "They gain immortality through the preservation of their consciousness after death. But, of course, not every force-sensitive people can appear as a force spirit after they die. They have to undergo special training to achieve that. It's kind of, explained in the animated TV series."

"It's just so interesting," Meera pointed out. "I think I need to watch the TV series after I'm done with the movies."

"I have a copy of all the seasons of _The Clone Wars_." He offered. "I can hand you a flash drive with all of it tomorrow."

"Awesome!" She said excitedly.

"Well, that's great to hear." Bran smiled at her. "You're officially a _Star Wars_ fan."

"Yes, and my brother will probably thank you for this."

Once the movie was over, Bran insisted that he'd drive her home. Usually, his dog Summer went with him wherever he went, but that night he stayed behind and slept on the armchair.

When they reached the _Greenwood Flats_, bran hurriedly got out of his car and opened the shotgun door for her.

Meera made a face at him. "You didn't have to do that as well." She said as she got down onto the sidewalk, carrying her bag and the bouquet. "I know how to open the door on my own."

"I'm only trying to help." He said as he closed the car door.

"I had fun today." She declared. "Sure, it was sort of, an emotional rollercoaster, but it's totally worth it."

"Me too." He agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." She said. "For _Episode VI_."

"Great," Bran beamed. "We'll have dinner before watching the movie first," He then held his hands in a stop-everything gesture. "But don't worry about that, we're not eating out because I'll be cooking our dinner."

"Okay, and I'll not be surprised if it'll be good." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I mean, the bibimbap that I've had was fucking restaurant quality."

"I'll be picking you up," He offered.

She wanted to protest, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry, Summer and I will be walking to get you." He assured.

"That's good to hear," Meera nodded. "But, I have conditions. First, no flowers—"

"Wait, wait!" Bran interrupted, then opened the car's shotgun door. He opened the compartment, pulled out a notepad and a pen, then scribbled on the notepad. "No flowers, okay." He muttered.

"Hold on, are you really writing this down?" She asked.

"Yeah," He said, showing her the notepad, then waited. "Go on, next condition."

Meera narrowed her eyes at him. "As I was saying, no flowers because you already gave me a dozen." She gestured to the bouquet in her hands. "And second, no big surprises."

He frowned. "Ooh, I can't promise that."

"Seriously?" She shrieked. "I just don't like anything, you know, extra."

"Nothing extra," He wrote it down on the notepad. "Got it."

"That's it." She said. "Nothing else."

"Okay," Bran placed the notepad and the pen on the car's dashboard, the mockingly bowed. "Your requests will be granted, my lady."

Meera chuckled and playfully nudged him.

Bran smirked. "Also, I will be driving you, like after."

"I thought we agreed that you have to save gas money."

"No, no, I'll be going home to Winterfell tomorrow night." He explained. "It's my younger brother, Rickon's high school graduation on Sunday and my Mom insisted that we all should be there."

"Oh," She beamed. "Send him my regards."

"Will do."

Meera made a face at him. "Now, get going, Stark." She smiled. "And thanks, again."

Bran stepped forward before her, cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her right there. Not caring if passersby or if anyone was watching. She kissed him back, not minding the fact that they were in public.

Afterwards, Bran hopped into his car, started the engines and pulled down the car's shotgun window. "See you tomorrow." He winked at her.

Meera snorted. "Take care." She said then waved at him as he drove away.

After Bran left, she went up the elevators to her flat. The people she walked passed by seemed to think she was crazy because she couldn't stop smiling as her head was still in the clouds.

She entered the flat to her brother Jojen on the couch eating vegan quesadillas with his feet on the coffee table, and he was watching a documentary on _Nat Geo_—his favorite TV channel, on the flatscreen.

"You're out later than usual." Jojen spoke up, not keeping his eyes off the flatscreen.

"It's Friday." She replied.

"Of course," Her brother said. "I bought quesadillas from the _Cornucopia_ if you want."

"Nah, I'm good." She declined. "I ate at the _CARNEval_, and the Stark girls left us a large _Bucket o' Fries_ from _The Burger Lab_."

Jojen frowned like he'd misheard her and turned to her direction. "Ooh, you were on a date?" Then his eyes widened when he saw the bouquet of flowers in her hands. And whatever question he was about to ask earlier had already been forgotten. "Wait, are those winter roses?"

"Um, yes." She said like it was obvious.

He was staring at the winter roses like it was newly-found buried treasure, and it was kind of funny.

"Where did you get winter roses in the summer?" He asked. "Hey, can I—"

Meera raised her hand. "Ah," She interrupted. "I know what you're gonna say. _Can I get cuttings so I can replant them?_" She did her best to imitate his voice. "The answer yes, but do it tomorrow. And don't take it all, leave some for arrangements."

Jojen smiled. "Nice. Thanks, sis" He said as he tried taking the bouquet from her hands. "Now, I think you're tired from your date. You should go and rest."

Meera pulled the bouquet away from him. "As I said, do it tomorrow." She forced out a smile. "Good night."

Her brother looked disappointed. "Fine," He huffed. "Good night. And put those on the water so they don't dry out."

That night, it took a while for Meera to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Bran, the way he always made her smile, the way he puts effort into the things he does, and the way he kissed her. All those things made her feel like she's on top of _Brandon's Peak_—the highest mountain in Westeros. And coincidentally, it was Bran's name as well.


	6. First Date

**BRAN**

Ten at night and Bran's still in cloud nine. The main highlight of his day was he got to kiss Meera.

At first, he nearly got caught in Tyrek's trap and even took the winter roses from him. But thankfully, Meera found the card he had written and persisted to find him. And when she did, she surprised him by stealing his first kiss.

By that time, everything went smooth sailing, until his sisters decided to get involved. He loves both Arya and Sansa, and it's big a miracle that they're not at each other's throats, but sometimes they can be, well, extra. They did something very sweet with the roses and the fries and milkshakes, but then again, it felt like they were interfering with the decisions he was supposed to make. But Meera assured him that they were just doing their responsibilities as older siblings, which was to take care after the younger ones.

After he drove Meera home, Bran couldn't get the smile off his face. Even Wex Pyke teased him about it. Normally, he'd tell him off, but that night he just didn't care.

As he lay in his bed, Summer climbed and curled by his feet. Bran checked his phone, and _lo and behold!_ He was the main topic in their group chat, the _Stark Pack_. Before leaving for the _CARNEval_, Bran had placed his phone on silent because he wanted to enjoy his moments with Meera.

He opened the group chat and the first thing he saw was the photo. It was of him and Meera eating dinner at the _CARNEval_. _Fuck!_ He mentally screamed as he did not know Sansa had taken a photo of them and showed it to their other siblings.

This was how it went:

STARK PACK

_Ginger Wolf sent a pic_. (Pic of Bran and Meera eating dinner at the CARNEval)

_Alpha Wolf: _Sansa, you met her already?

_Ginger Wolf: _Yep. I was in White Harbor with Arya _ Rebel Wolf_ earlier.

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _DUUUUUUDDDE! SHE'S PRETTY!

_Warrior Wolf: _Holy shit! I spat out my coffee. Bran has a girlfriend?!

_Alpha Wolf: _WTF JON HAHAHAHAHAHAHA apparently, yes.

_Warrior Wolf: _Bet she's the type that can kick ass.

_Ginger Wolf: _She was in the archery team, so I would say so.

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken_: She's in the archery team? Then I should know her.

_Ginger Wolf:_ In college, Theon. Not in high school. You weren't in the UWH Archery team, you were on the football team.

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken_: Oh, okay. I get it.

_Warrior Wolf: _Also, you were in White Harbor? With Arya?

_Alpha Wolf:_ I know, Dude, It's a miracle!

_Ginger Wolf sent a pic._ (Pic of Sansa smiling while taking a selfie with Arya, who has an obvious annoyed death glare facial expression, across the table in the CARNEval)

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken:_ IT _IS_ A FUCKING MIRACLE!

_Baby Wild Wolf: _Whoa! Meera's pretty. Nice catch, Bran.

_Baby Wild Wolf: _wait

_Baby Wild Wolf: _fuck you, Robb!

_Baby Wild Wolf changed his nickname to Wild Wolf._

_Wild Wolf: _That's better.

_Alpha Wolf: _Baby bro, just calm down, okay?

_Alpha Wolf: _Now, back to Bran! Congrats, little brother  _Winged Wolf__!_

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _Why isn't Bran answering?

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _BRAN! BRAN! BRAN! _ Winged Wolf_!

_Ginger Wolf: _He's still on a date. DUH!

_Alpha Wolf: _And why is Arya also quiet? It's kinda suspicious.

_Ginger Wolf: _She's driving.

_Ginger Wolf sent a pic._ (Pic of Arya driving with Nymeria on the shotgun seat)

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _We're still waiting for you, Bran.

After a while, Arya did answer. And Bran figured that maybe at that time they had already arrived home.

_Rebel Wolf: _WOULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP?! LEAVE BRAN ALONE!

_Rebel Wolf: _HE DIDN'T BOTHER YOU WHEN YOU ALL HAD SOs!

At that point, Bran was boiling with irritation. But he appreciated Arya defending him. That meant a lot to him. She was always the one defending him growing up. He didn't know what else to do so he entered the chat.

_Winged Wolf: _SANSA _ Ginger Wolf_ WTF IS THIS?!

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _Well, finally.

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _WHAT'S UP, BRAN!

_Alpha Wolf: _So, how was your date?

_Winged Wolf: _It was great.:)

_Winged Wolf: _Don't you people have something better else to do than meddling in other people's business?

_Winged Wolf: _Also, thank you, Arya _ Rebel Wolf_

_Alpha Wolf: _Hey, you should invite her for dinner here in Winterfell.

_Ginger Wolf: _OMG YAAASSS!

_Ginger Wolf: _I'm positive Mom will love her.

_Alpha Wolf: _And we want to meet her personally.

_Winged Wolf: _You will, soon.

_Alpha Wolf: _Nice.

_Not-A-Wolf-But-Actually-A-Kraken: _I'm taking a screenshot of this convo as further evidence.

The following day, he woke up with reinvigorated energy. He got up and stretched quickly before getting to his feet to open the drapes.

Summer nuzzled his feet, which made Bran turn and knelt. "Good morning, buddy." He greeted as Summer licked his face. "Let's eat breakfast. We have a lot to do today."

Bran went downstairs with Summer scampering after him. He then got himself a cereal from the cupboard and milk from the fridge, before allowing the automatic feeder to release dog food through the app on his phone.

Beren was still asleep on the couch. _Of course_, he thought. Bran wasn't surprised as Beren liked drinking on the weekends.

Then Beren's phone rang. And because Beren was still snoring away, of course, he wasn't able to answer it. Bran stood from his seat and happened to glanced at Beren's phone on the coffee table. A photo of a guy in military camouflage was on screen and the name, _Brandon_ was on display.

It was Beren's older brother, Brandon Tallhart. Bran knew because, besides the fact that they share the same first name (Brandon is a common Northern name), Brandon was good friends with his cousin, Jon. They were assigned on the same barracks while they were still cadets in the military academy.

Bran felt like the phone call was important so he took Beren's phone and answered it. "Hello."

_"__Beren, I'm already in Moat Cailin,"_ Brandon Tallhart said on the other line. _"You better be ready."_

"Uh, this is Bran," Bran answered. "Beren's still asleep."

_"__Oh,"_ He could hear Brandon huff. _"He's on the couch again, isn't he?"_

"Yeah, he is." He said.

_"__Can you please wake him up?"_ Brandon pleaded. _"Push him off the couch, if you have to."_

Bran shook Beren's shoulder. "Dude, wake up!"

Beren opened one eye. "What?" He asked groggily.

He handed him his phone. "It's your brother."

Beren took his phone and placed it near his ear. "What's up, bro?" Then suddenly, he sat up with wide eyes. "Uh, yeah. I'll be ready when you get here." He placed down his phone back on the coffee table. "Fuck!" He cussed, then glanced back at him. "Dude, what time is it?"

Bran pointed at the digital clock, _08:04_, it displayed.

"Good," Beren said. "I still have time."

Bran walked back to the kitchen to finish his cereal and Beren followed after him.

"Dude, do we still have milk?" He asked.

Bran nodded. "It's in the fridge."

Beren rummaged through the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk. He took a glass from the cupboard before sitting across from him.

"So, your brother's coming to pick you up?" Bran asked.

"Yeah," Beren replied, taking a banana from the basket of fruits on the island counter. "He said he's gonna introduce his girlfriend to the Tallhart Clan." He peeled the banana he was holding. "I mean, there aren't even that many girls who join the military, right?"

"Not that I know of," Bran shrugged. "But maybe Brandon's girlfriend is a military official's daughter or something. Trust me, Jon's dated a few. His current girlfriend is in the black ops."

"Damn!" Beren said. "I can tell that she's already dangerous."

"According to Jon, she's a sniper." He informed. "So, yeah. I would say so."

"Nice, It's a good thing Talia's like that," Beren muttered half to himself. "But—"

Bran frowned. "But what?" He asked. "I thought you like her."

"It's not her, okay?" Beren revealed. "It's her twin brother, Ethan. I know he's being protective, but he's on me on the tiniest things. Like, _why is your arm around my sister?_ Or that time in Jorelle's party, I gave her a drink and he was like, _so what did you put in there?_ It's fucking annoying."

"Holy shit!" Bran chuckled. "That's what Robb would do to Sansa."

"Anyways," Beren finished his banana. "I won't be back until Monday. So you have the whole place to yourself. And if my guess is right, Meera would be here again."

He shrugged. "Well, yes."

"If you get laid tonight, tequilas will be on me." Beren promised.

"Dude, I'm not gonna sleep with her."

Beren emptied his glass of milk. "Oh, don't worry, man. I got you." He assured. "If you feel like it's going to happen and you're obviously not ready, I got extra condoms in the drawer of my nightstand. You can take some."

"_What?!_" He shrieked. "Beren, what the fuck!"

Beren chuckled as he stood and placed the empty glass in the dishwasher. "I gotta take a shower before my brother gets here." He then headed towards the staircase. "Think about it, Bran."

"Oh, gods." Bran murmured, then placed his empty bowl on the dishwasher.

Afterwards, Bran went to the balcony as it's where he's planning his outdoor dinner surprise for Meera. He never usually went out to the pool area so at the moment it needs a little cleaning.

Thankfully for him, around thirty minutes later, Beren was picked up by his brother and then they went home to Torrhen's Square for the weekend, which meant Bran had the penthouse to himself. He spent all morning cleaning the outside and setting up the place where they'll have their dinner.

He checked the pool's plumbing system if the Jacuzzi and the grotto (It's a rock waterfall with a cavern-like space beneath it that's large enough to swim into) still worked. Yep, the _Aquamarine_ had two pools all-in-all, one of which was the one used by every unit-owners as one of the building amenities. The other pool is a private one with a Jacuzzi tub located in the penthouse unit. That was all there were in the penthouse, the grotto was added through Arya's suggestion—and she also designed how it looked.

The pool had a wooden cabana nearby with white curtains. It had a woven couch with white cushions and a coffee table. It was where they'd usually sit when they want to relax before taking a swim.

Bran fixed the cabana, swept and polished its wooden floor. He also transferred the woven couch from the cabana near the tempered glass rail to make room for the tatami mat and pillows they were going to sit on. He left the coffee table as it's what they were gonna use that as their table.

He also changed the curtains with newly dry-cleaned ones and hung pixie series lights and several of those _DIY_ string art glue yarn balls Arya had made when she used to live there.

After setting up the decorations, he cooked and ate his lunch. And by 1 pm, he focused on cooking their meals. He also readied the utensils: plates, spoons, forks, knives, and glasses that are going to be used later in the food service cart. He cooked the appetizers first, before working on the main course, which was the chicken. He stuffed it to add more flavor to it before putting it to cook in the oven, which will be cooking for about two hours. As for the dessert, Bran had ordered two dozen cupcakes from the _Rosebud Cakes & Pastries_ and was delivered in two pink boxes an hour after he called for an order, to which he instructed Wex to bring it up to the penthouse as he was too busy.

While he was waiting for the food to be cooked, Bran gave Summer a bath. Thankfully, Summer didn't resist this time. And afterwards, Bran took a shower himself.

Right after before leaving to pick Meera, he prepared the food. He had covered the appetizers and the entrée with stainless steel cloches and placed them on top of the foodservice cart, which had a built-in food warmer. The dessert, which was the cupcakes, he had placed on a glass cake stand with a glass cloche, but he didn't place it on the food warmer, but on the table where they would eat, right next to the tree branch design candle holder—another of the many things his sister Arya had bought. He had also set the table early with the utensils and wine glasses, and he picked an Arbor Gold wine, which he will place on a basket with red and purple grapes as Summer will be the one who'll deliver it later.

By 5pm, he and Summer went to pick up Meera from the _Greenwood Flats_. He was dressed in his usual clothes, a comfy long-sleeved shirt, and trousers.

He was waiting in the Greenwoods building's lobby when he saw Meera's brother, Jojen getting out of the elevator.

Jojen was definitely sticking to his degree program, as his black t-shirt had a slogan: _I stand for Green Living_ and it had a drawing of a large tree. Just perfect for a Botany major like him.

And it was kind of unusual seeing Jojen going out on a Saturday. Because as Meera had told him about her brother, they were similar in a way, socially awkward and rarely went out on parties.

"Jojen, hey." Bran greeted.

"Oh, hey," Jojen smiled. "Meera will be down shortly." Then he noticed Summer and his eyes widened. "Is having a wolf as a pet even legal?" He asked.

"Uh, no." He replied. "He's not a wolf, he's just a mixed breed of two large dog species."

"Oh, cool," Jojen said absent-mindedly, then held his hand out to Summer. "Hello, boy."

Summer wagged his tail and nuzzled Jojen's hand with his snout.

"That's weird," Bran raised an eyebrow. "Most people are afraid of him. So, I'll assume the old wives' tale about animals loving vegans is true then?"

"Nope, that's a myth." Jojen clarified as he knelt and scratched Summer's neck. "What's his name?"

"It's Summer." Bran then cleared his throat. "So, anyways, where are you off to tonight?" He asked.

"Oh, a friend asked me to help him," Jojen explained. "Well, more like a friend's friend. They need someone to help them graft plants successfully."

"Well, they're in luck," Bran said. "You're a Botany Major."

Jojen shrugged. "By the way, where did you get winter roses in summer?" He asked.

"Oh, um, we have a conservatory on our grounds." He explained. "We simply picked some and arranged it into a bouquet."

"A greenhouse," Jojen smirked. "Nice! Unfortunately, I can't fit one in our flat."

Summer barked excitedly, and laid down on his back with his paws up in the air, still wagging his tail playfully.

"Aww," Jojen chuckled. "He's so cute." He said as he scratched Summer's belly before turning to Bran. "Does he normally do this?"

Bran shook his head. "No," He replied. "But if he does that, it means he likes you."

Jojen continued scratching Summer's belly. "Who's a good dog?" He said in a weird babyish voice, the same way his brother, Robb does when he talks to Grey wind.

Another elevator opened and two people got out. Meera was one of them and the other was a guy about his age, but Bran didn't recognize him until he walked closer towards their direction. And it was Cley Cerwyn.

"Reed, let's go." Cley told Jojen before he noticed Bran. "They're just around the block—Stark?" He stopped at his tracks and frowned. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Before he could answer, Meera was suddenly beside him. "_He_ is my date." She said, then kissed his cheek.

Meera was dress in green short overalls with one strap down and a white t-shirt underneath. And she was wearing comfy flat shoes.

"Hey," He greeted, right after giving Meera a peck on her cheek, then turned to Cley. "I came to pick her up."

Cley raised an eyebrow at them. "I didn't know you guys are dating."

Meera snorted. "Well, we don't announce things on social media like most people."

Jojen was still playing with Summer, which made Meera snort.

"Jojen, what are you doing?" She asked.

Jojen looked up at his sister. "Why don't we ever get a dog?"

"You know how Dad feels about animal fur." She reminded him.

Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of the Greenwoods. The car's shotgun window rolled down and a guy popped out his head. "Cerwyn, come on!" He called.

"Oh, they're here," Cley said, then nudged Jojen. "Dude, let's go." He turned back to them. "I'll see you guys around."

Jojen got up and stroke Summer's hide one last time. "Bye, Summer."

"Don't do anything stupid." Meera said.

Jojen snorted. "Please, I think I'll arrive home before you will." He chuckled. "You know, agreeing to help them, I feel like I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"You're not a Jedi." Meera countered. "But I'll give you that. Why, then?"

"Because I'm their only hope," Jojen said. "In grafting."

Bran and Meera both laughed.

Jojen frowned at his sister. "You're laughing like you understood that reference."

"I do," Meera confirmed. "Leia said it in a holographic message in _Episode IV: A New Hope_. Right before she sent the two droids with the Death Star plans."

Jojen still looked like he didn't believe her and turned to him.

"I made her watch _Star Wars_ with me," Bran revealed. "And I'm proud to say that she's officially a _Star Wars_ fan."

"That's right, little brother." Meera agreed.

Jojen smiled. "Holy shit!" He exclaimed, then he shook Bran's hand repeatedly. "Thank you, man. Like, seriously, I couldn't get her to watch _Star Wars_. But whatever you did, it worked."

Meera hit Jojen's arm, prompting him to let go of Bran's hand. "Would you stop it?" She scolded. "He'll think you're weird."

Suddenly, the car outside was honking again, which meant they were getting impatient waiting for Jojen.

"Reed, come on!" Cley called out.

"I have to go," Jojen said. "You guys have fun on your date." Then he turned to Meera. "I like him." He said, pointing at Bran before heading out to the car outside.

As Jojen left with Cley Cerwyn, Bran turned to Meera, smiling.

"I know your brother would thank me for persuading you to watch _Star Wars_." Bran said.

Meera snorted. "Of course, I know he would." She said. "By the way, did he ask you about the flowers?"

"Yeah," Bran nodded. "I mean, I sort of expected it since there aren't winter roses available and you mentioned that your brother's into plants." He cleared his throat. "So, shall we go?"

She held an open palm at him. "I want to hold Summer's leash."

Bran handed her Summer's leash and they proceeded to walk towards the _Aquamarine_.

"So," Meera started to say. "I hope you kept in mind what I told you last night."

"Of course, I did," Bran assured. "You think I'd ever let you down?"

"Good to know." She said, smiling. "I'm excited because you're cooking again. The last time you did, that meal was phenomenal. A simple homemade meal, just the way I like it. No take-out orders."

Bran cleared his throat. "Uh, about that," He said. "I sort of, ordered cupcakes for dessert."

"What?" Meera sighed. "Why didn't you just call me? I could've made something for us. And you could've saved money."

"No, I just—it's supposed to be a surprise," Bran admitted. "But I'm terrible at keeping secrets. But I didn't just order the cupcakes, okay?" He explained. "I'm taking some home, to make up for driving home late. My brothers and sisters like that, especially Rickon."

Once they arrived at the _Aquamarine_, Wex was grinning like crazy as usual. And it almost became a normal thing whenever Bran took Meera to the penthouse.

"Good evening, lovebirds," Wex greeted, then frowned at him. "I thought you were going back home to Winterfell tonight."

"I will, later." He informed.

And with that Wex left them alone.

Bran got nervous when they got to the elevators. Not because of the date but because of the thought that Meera might not like his surprise.

When they got into the penthouse, Bran led Meera to the living room.

"Just stay here." He said, prompting her to sit on the couch. "I'll do a little table setting."

"But don't you need help?" She offered.

"No, no, I'm good," Bran assured. "Don't worry about it. I'll be quick." He turned to Summer. "Buddy, you need to distract her."

Meera frowned. "What?"

"Trust me, I got it under control." He promised, then headed to the kitchen.

Bran checked and placed everything that they need on the food cart. He pulled the Arbor Gold wine from the fridge and placed it on the basket with the grapes. He then pushed the food cart out to the pool area and set the food on the table. He also turned on the plumbing from the rock waterfall and the pool lights.

He lit the blueberry scented candle on their table before going back to check on Meera. Thankfully for him, Summer was doing a great job distracting Meera as his dog had his headrest on Meera's lap while she gently stroke his fur.

Bran smiled at the sight of them. Summer was rarely cuddly with anyone. He would be friends with other people, yes, but he was never in their faces when they're sitting on the couch. He was also surprised by how Summer reacted to Jojen earlier. Summer was never like that to the people he had just met.

According to some article Robb had forced him to read when they first got the dogs, it was said that dogs can sense if a person is good or bad. Bran had definite proof of that when Summer barked at Tyrek the first time they met. On the other hand, he was glad that Summer was able to warm up to the Reeds.

He cleared his throat. "You both seem comfortable."

"He's doing a good job distracting me, obviously." Meera said.

"Well done, Summer," Bran praised, then turned to Meera. "Now, come on. It's set."

Bran took Meera's hand as soon as she stood with Summer right behind them.

Meera was confused when they passed the dining hall. "Where are we going?" She asked. "I thought we're having dinner."

"We are," He replied. "Just not in the dining hall." He opened the sliding door to the pool area and smiled. "We're eating out, literally."

Meera stepped out and her annoyed expression changed to astonished in a second. "Whoa," She said in awe. "This is…" She faltered and shook her head. "I can't even think of a word to describe this. And I'm a journalist."

"How about we just get on with dinner?" Bran said as he led her to the cabana. "I know you're hungry and I am too."

She sniffed the air as she took a step onto the cabana and smiled. "Blueberries."

"How can you tell?" He asked.

Meera shrugged. "I grew up in a berries farm." She pointed out. "And my Mom collected scented candles as well."

"That is actually Sansa's." He explained as he guided her to her seat. "She used to have a drawer of scented candles in her room when she lived here. But when she moved back to Winterfell, I took a few. And this one is my favorite."

Bran sat across from her, enjoying the fact that Meera was still admiring what she saw.

"I still can't believe you pulled this off." She said. "We could've just eaten in your dining hall, you know."

"I know," Bran smiled. "But I wanted to do something different." He removed the cloche and revealed the appetizers. "For our appetizer, dynamite spring rolls. And by dynamite, it means spicy. So I made a sour cream dip to minimize the spiciness. And it's a veggie spring roll, so you can bring some to your place for your brother." He frowned. "Jojen eats spicy food, right?"

"He eats anything as long as it's all fruits and vegetables." Meera picked one from the serving plate, dipped it in the sour cream before taking a bite. "Hmm," She said. "I didn't know you can pass off as a chef."

"I'm not a chef," He corrected. "I just like to cook for my friends and family."

"It's the same thing." She insisted. "If this is the appetizer, and the cupcakes are the desserts, then what's the main course?"

Bran removed the large cloche in the middle of the table and it showed the oven-roasted stuffed chicken.

"Whoa!" Meera gasped. "But you do know we can't eat this whole chicken, right?"

"Don't worry, I'll bring this to Winterfell as well." He assured. "Rickon loves chicken. And also," He whistled and called for Summer. "Buddy, the basket."

Summer went back inside and came back with the basket of grapes and Arbor Gold wine.

"Oh my gods!" She squealed. "Did you practice this?" She asked.

"Sort of," He admitted. As he pulled out the Arbor Gold wine from the basket and poured it on their wine glasses.

"Arbor Gold, nice." She nodded.

"I picked Arbor Gold because I don't like Dornish Red."

"Me too," Meera admitted. "So a three-course, outdoor fine-dining? I'll give you an eleven out of ten."

Bran smiled. "Well, thanks."

After a lot of compliments, they ate. And as they did, Bran gave Summer some chicken, which he seemed to like.

"Anyways," Meera started as she sliced her piece of chicken with a knife. "Lyra said she was gonna take her sister, Lya mountain trekking two weeks from now. And she invited me and Gwyn, and that we could bring other people too. Would you like to come with us?" She asked.

"On which mountain?"

"Mt. Alarra." She informed. "From the base on Highpoint. Well. it's either that or we're going to a hot spring in Karhold or camping in the _Wolf Pines National Park._"

"Well, I've been to the _Wolf Pines_. It's literally over our fence." He said, scratching Summer's hide. "It's also how we found Summer as a pup with his littermates. And I've also been to that hot spring in Karhold. It's only a mile away from that Mountain Ski Resort owned by the Karstarks. But I've never been mountain trekking, especially on one of the mountains in the _Kings of Winter_."

The _Kings of Winter_ is another name of the _Northern Mountain Range_, and it is called such because it has the highest peaks in Westeros. And most of the mountains were named after actual kings of winter or queens, princes and princesses, who lived centuries ago. The highest, _Mt. Brandon_ or famously called, _Brandon's Peak_, was named for Brandon-the-Builder, the first king in the North and the one who founded Winterfell.

The Kings of Winter also have the third and fourth highest mountain, with it being _Mt. Torrhen _and _Mt. Cregan_. The second highest mountain being _Mt. Gyles_ of the Moon Mountains in the Vale and the fifth-highest being _Mt. Morion_ of the Red Mountains in Dorne.

"So you're coming?" She asked.

Bran nodded. "Yeah, of course," He replied with glee. "I'm up for it."

"Cool, I'm telling Lyra you're coming with us," Meera said. "But back-up a bit. You said you found Summer and his littermates as pups in your property?"

"On our grounds, yes," Bran recalled. "Just over the fence from the Wolf Pines. We, first thought that they were wolf pups, huddled up close to their dead mother, which was what we thought was a wolf. Until one of our own staff said that it was just a large wild dog."

"How did the mother die?" She asked.

"We don't know." He said. "But she did have a deer's antler sticking from its neck. My Dad assumed she was preying a stag for her pups." He placed his arm around Summer, who was quietly eating the chicken Bran gave him on his feeder. "Robb begged our Dad and suggested that we adopt them. And since then, Summer and I have been best buds."

"That's good to know." She said as she took a cupcake from the glass cake stand and took a bite. "By the way, where did you order these cupcakes from?"

"The _Rosebud_,"

"Ooh, I knew they tasted familiar," Meera said. "My favorites are the ones with berries as frostings and toppings."

She took another bite from the cupcake and it left a trace of frosting on her lower lip.

Bran smiled at the sight of it. And he loved the fact that either Meera didn't know or cared.

"What?" She asked.

He just took his table napkin, leaned forward and wiped her face from across. It startled Meera, of course, but that's when he explained.

"You have frosting on your lower lip."

Meera's face turned slightly red. "Shit, that's embarrassing."

"No, it's not." Bran countered. "Well, I mean—it's kinda embarrassing. But I find it more adorable than embarrassing." He forced out a smile. "Don't hate me."

She laughed. "You're kinda weird. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yes, and thank you." He raised his wine glass and drank from it.

Meera frowned in confusion, so he had to clarify things.

"Oh, when someone tells me I'm weird, I always take it as a compliment never an insult." He explained. "The way I see it, it means they notice that I'm different from typical people they meet."

"It's probably why I'm drawn to you." She guessed. "Weird people always had interesting stories to tell."

After eating their dinner, Bran showed her around the pool area.

He pointed at the woven couch. "Those chairs are supposed to be in the cabana." He explained. "But I placed them there so I would have somewhere to set our dinner on."

Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, I figured that." She said. "There's no way a couch with those types of cushions should be left out in the open." She then pointed at the grotto. "And that rock-cave-waterfall thing was Arya's doing?"

"Yeah, she designed it." He confirmed. "And the pool lighting as well. My sister always had a knack for unusual stuff."

She frowned. "You're making it sound like it's a bad thing."

"Well, Arya's main goal at her designs is for people passing by to stop and admire it." Bran pointed out. "I mean, it works. People actually stop and admire it, but sometimes it can be over the top."

Meera nudged him. "It's just unique." She corrected. "That's why people admire it. Because it's something they don't see everyday. And wait—" She stopped at one part of the rooftop overlooking the skyline of White Harbor. "This view right here is Arya's painting, right? The one by the staircase?"

"Yeah, she came here every night for two weeks at this spot," He recalled. "With an easel and a canvas. And she simply painted what she saw."

"I see why she wanted to paint it," She said. "It's beautiful. Plus, I don't get this kind of view from my place." She pointed at the portable fire pit encircled by wooden stools. "And you can even roast marshmallows for s'mores."

"We'll do that next time." He promised then he cleared his throat. "Anyways, would you…uh, like to dance?"

Meera giggled. "But there's no music."

"Oh, right," Bran pulled out his phone and played one of those romantic violin symphonies before holding out his hand. "Now, shall we, my lady?"

"Of course, my lord." She replied as she took his hand. "I have to warn you, I'm not very good at dancing."

"That makes both of us." He admitted as he guided her hand on his shoulder and placed his hands on her waist.

Before he knew it, Meera intertwined her fingers around his neck and gazed into his eyes as they danced along to the sweet music.

"I never pegged you for a romantic guy." She pointed out. "This is nice. I could get use to this."

"Really?" He asked as he guided her in a quick twirl. "In that case, I need dance lessons from my Mom then."

Meera laughed. And it was good to hear. "It's like every date is a new adventure."

"Every date is a new adventure," He repeated. "Noted."

Afterwards, he caressed her cheek. Looking at her now, he thought, _Gods she's so beautiful_. He then didn't hesitate to lean down and kissed her, right there. He was thrilled when she kissed him back. And at that moment, everything just felt right.

As they watched the movie, but Bran's eyes weren't mostly on the flatscreen. They were at Meera's. He couldn't stop staring at her. He loved the way her eyebrows knitted in concentration, how she complained in frustration on the characters' stupid decisions and cheered when the good guys finally won. And she was a lot of fun to watch.

As he observed her, Bran made a silent promise to himself. _I'm going to marry her someday_, he thought.

Unfortunately for him, Meera caught him staring.

"What?" She asked.

"Uh, nothing." Bran could feel his face turning red as he looked away.

Meera narrowed her eyes at him and elbowed him suspiciously.

"Hey," He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm just glad you love my surprise."

"Who wouldn't? It's really sweet." She smiled.

Also, while watching movies that same week, Summer always came to them and he'd rest his head on Bran's lap. But since Wednesday, Summer would surprisingly always prefer resting his head on Meera's lap and Bran never understood why. He only assumed Summer liked Meera as well, to which he considered a good thing.

After the movie, only did Meera asked her questions.

"I knew it was the twins." She declared. "And Anakin actually _did_ bring balance to the force."

"So, how do you find the plot of the entire film series?" He asked.

"It's great, but then again, it's just one family fucking up the whole galaxy with their drama."

Bran chuckled. "That's another way to put it."

"But I still need to watch the tv series," She insisted. "You said characters and story arcs are more complex. And there are things that I still don't understand, like how the force spirit thing works and Order 66."

He leaned forward and pulled a flash drive from the coffee table's centerpiece. "Here you go." He said. "It has seasons one to six."

"How did you already have it?" She asked.

Bran shrugged. "You mentioned it last night," He reminded her. "So I prepared it before I picked you up."

Meera took the flask drive from him and placed it in her overalls' pocket. "Thanks." Then she gave him a peck on his cheek.

He made a face at her. "I'm gonna need more than that."

She chuckled. "Alright," She crooked a finger and motioned him to come closer.

Bran dived in and kissed her on her lips. She kissed him back and wrapped her hands around his neck. He opened his mouth and reveled in that faint scent of hers. Her mouth was so warm and her lips felt even softer than before.

Suddenly, her lips didn't feel as soft anymore, it felt hot against his. Then she pushed him back against the backrest of the couch and sat on his lap, straddling him.

And it's as if his hands knew what to do because he wrapped his arms around her waist. He slowly caressed Meera's figure as he went down to her hips and thighs and gently squeezed them.

Meera moaned against the kiss, it made him pull apart and stared at her for a few seconds.

"What is it?" She asked.

Bran smiled. "Nothing," He said, then cupped her face and pulled her back into the kiss.

Meera giggled as she continued kissing him before wrapping her arms around his neck.

But of course, Summer found a way to interrupt them. His barking caused them to break apart from each other. And they found Summer sitting not far from them with his head tilted to one side like he was curious at what he and Meera were doing.

"What is it now, buddy?"

Summer whined in reply then gave him _the_ _puppy-dog-eyes_ when he's hungry. Like a _please-give-me-food_ expression.

"I know that look," Bran noticed. "You want food again."

His dog stood and wagged his tail at the word _food_ and barked excitedly. _Yes, food!_ He seemed to say. _Give me food!_

Bran sighed. "Alright," He searched for his phone, but it was on the coffee table.

"I got it," Meera said, then reached out her hand to pick up his phone and handed it to him.

He browsed his phone for the dog feeder app, pressed a button and sure enough, they could hear the automatic feeder dispensing food onto the feeder, much to Summer's excitement that we ran towards the kitchen.

Bran put his phone aside and turned back to Meera. "Now, where were we?"

Meera smiled before kissing him again. Then as they tasted each others' tongues, she started grinding against him. And he could feel his cock throbbing against his trousers as she continued.

From her lips, Bran went down her neck and sucked a spot on her throat, which made her moan softly. That's also the time she noticed the bulge in his trousers, which made her broke free from the kiss and stare at him. Then on his trousers. Then back at him.

Bran could feel himself turning red from embarrassment. "Um," He sighed. "This is embarrassing."

Meera gave him a mischievous smirk before reaching down and rubbed down over his cock.

"Oh my gods!" He flinched and nearly threw her off his lap. "What are you—hmmmf…" He moaned as he threw his head back on the couch's backrest.

"You like that, huh?"

"Stop talking." He said as he pulled her closer and kissed her again.

And as they went back to exploring each others' tongues, Bran's hands fondled her. They were everywhere, touching and grasping everything. One millisecond his hands were rubbing her back, the next they were on her waist, then on her hips, and then lower, down to her thighs, with her moaning at every touch.

Meera tasted like Arbor Gold. He wasn't surprised, as they were drinking Arbor Gold wine earlier. And it was sweet. He then pressed his hand on her back and pulled her closer to him.

Bran then started kissing her before dropping to her neck, sucking marks on it.

"Bran—hmm…" Meera whimpered. "That—oh! That feels nice."

She then pulled away from him, started snapping open the buckle of his belt and snatching at the zipper.

His hand went to her wrist to stop her. "Wait, stop."

Meera looked up, with her hands still gripping the unzipped top of his trousers. "What?" She asked.

"Not here." He said, out of breath. "Let's take this upstairs. It's quieter, and no one will ever hear us." He assured.

She slowly smiled. "Okay." She said, before getting up from his lap.

Bran took her hand and gestured for her to follow him upstairs. He turned on the lights on the hallway, also illuminating the paintings Arya had on the walls.

"Ooh, more paintings!" Meera squealed. "Maybe I could get one as a birthday present."

"I'll tell her you said that." He said. "Anyways, quick tour. There are four bedrooms all in all. The master bedroom, the largest, is on that last door from the window. The room next to it is Beren's room, and it was my sister Sansa's room way back when she used to live here."

"So the other two rooms are vacant?" She guessed.

"Yeah," He replied. "The room at the end, across the bathroom used to be my foster brother's. And the room next to it was Arya's. Now, those rooms are currently used for storage. But if I get a call ahead that someone's staying over, I'll clean it myself. Put sheets on the mattress and pillows, fix the thermostat, stuff like that."

Bran led her to his room. It was dark, partly because he never expected them to go up there in the first place. And because the last time he was in his room that day, it was still in broad daylight.

He didn't switch on the lights, thinking it would just kill the mood. All he did was turn on the remote-controlled fireplace, creating a dim light source around the room enough for them to see their surroundings.

"Whoa!" Meera gasped. "This room is as big as the living and dining rooms and kitchen in my place combined." She pointed at the door to her left. "And you even have your own bathroom."

"That's not the bathroom." He corrected, pulling her with him to show her that there's another door across the first door she saw. "This is the bathroom, that's the walk-in closet."

She pointed at the dog cushion. "And that's Summer's bed."

"Yes, but he never sleeps there." He said. "Summer's only there when I'm doing something on my desk. He usually sleeps by my feet, literally."

"Okay, now I will definitely say that you are spoiling him too much." She said, then walked towards the bookshelves by his desk. "And you have a library in here."

"Of course," He shrugged. "I love to read. That's why I had lights installed on the headboard." He pointed at the bed's headboard.

"Nice," She smiled in approval. "So I guess, I'll have to recommend a book series for you to read then. _Harry Potter_, maybe?"

Bran chuckled. "I already am a fan." He said, pointing to the treasure chest-shaped box on the top shelf. "I have all seven books in hardbound. Plus, an exact replica of the Marauder's Map. And I also have a detailed scaled model of the Hogwarts castle, but Arya stole it and took it to our house in Winterfell."

"Oh my gods!" Meera squealed. "That is so cool! So, which house are you sorted in?" She asked.

"Ravenclaw." He replied.

"I'm on Gryffindor." She brought up. "But you know," She said as she walked closer to him. "Even if we're not sorted in the same house, I think we'd still get along in _Hogwarts_."

"Right, whatever." Bran had then closed the space between them and their lips touched once again. He then used his height to push her back, and Meera's feet stepped backward slowly. Her hands went up to his hair as the back of her legs bumped against the frame of the bed. He unclipped the other strap of her overalls just as she tugged the end of his long-sleeved shirt to remove it.

He removed his shirt afterwards and he pulled her closer just as she pushed down her overalls, stepped out of them and kicked it aside.

Meera wrapped her arms around his neck. Bran lowered himself and kissed her neck, gripped her thighs and carried her up onto his bed before removing her t-shirt, leaving her in her underwear.

Bran stood back and stared at her. The sight of her half-naked on his bed made him nervous. It was the first time he had ever brought a girl into his bed, much less to his room.

Seeing him frozen, Meera looked concerned. "What is it?" She asked.

"I—um," Bran faltered. "I've never done this before." He admitted.

She let out a sigh and hugged her arms in a subtle attempt to cover herself. "That makes two of us."

"Really?" He asked curiously.

Meera shook her head. "No, I've never done it. But I promised myself, that I want my first time to be someone I trust. And I never had someone I actually had a real connection with, until you."

Bran smiled at that, before diving in again to kiss her.

She rubbed her hands down his chest, over his stomach, down to his trousers. She then undid his belt and tugged open his trousers' zipper.

As his trousers fell to the floor, yanking his shoes off along with them, he was left in his boxers. And Meera took advantage of the situation as she cupped the bulge of his throbbing cock against his boxers.

As Meera pulled herself backwards, further into the bed. It's also the time when Bran remembered that they didn't have any protection.

He suddenly recalled Beren's offer earlier that day. _I got extra condoms in the drawer of my nightstand_, Beren had said. _You can take some._

"Um, hold on just a sec." He said

Before Meera could react or reply, Bran ran out of his room and invited himself into Beren's room.

The other three rooms were only two-thirds the size of the master bedroom, and it did not have own bathrooms. But it did have a walk-in closet, just half the size of the one in the master bedroom.

Beren's room was surprisingly clean. The queen-sized bed was made and his laundry bin was empty. Maybe he had cleaned his room the day before or maybe he did it before he left with his brother earlier that day.

Bran went for the nightstand drawer. Sure enough, Beren actually had a box of condoms. Truthfully, he didn't even know how many people Beren had ever slept with. Mostly, because he hadn't brought girls in the penthouse. But regarding Beren's constant weekend partying and bar-hopping routine, it was pretty much self-explanatory that he _had_ slept with a few people.

The box said that it stored a dozen, but currently, it already had about ten left. Bran took one from the box and sprinted back to his room.

Meera was still on his bed, waiting. She was sitting with her arms spread out behind her, supporting her weight as she stared up at him and she had an impatient expression on her face.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting." He apologized as he placed the packed condom on the nightstand before turning to her.

She simply crooked a finger, motioning for him to come closer.

And that's what he did. He climbed onto the bed and crawled on top of her. Bran crashed his lips against hers. Meera kissed him back hungrily, wrapping her hands around his neck.

Things started heating up as they explored each other's tongues. He began tugging her bra straps off and Meera never hesitated as she got what he was trying to imply and unhooked her bra, then cast it aside.

He got the view of her breasts and couldn't resist but brush his hands against them. Bran kissed her again before moving down to her neck and then lower to her shoulder, and finally to her breasts. He sucked one of her nipples into his mouth as he pinched the other earnestly, making her groan.

"Hmm, that feels—ah—good!" Meera moaned, raking her hands through his auburn hair.

As he went on, Meera's moans grew louder, making him harder downstairs. He pushed Meera back, making her lay flat on the bed as he planted kisses on her breasts, trailing down to her stomach, down to her panties.

Bran bent down and spread her legs apart, holding it at the back of her knees. He had then pulled her panties from her legs and threw them aside.

He leaned back and got a good look at her. Meera was completely naked on his bed. He had never imagined this was how far their date was gonna go, but he's not complaining. He's just gonna enjoy every moment of it.

Bran couldn't help but smile. _Gods, she's so beautiful_. He thought.

Meera boosted up on her elbows, visibly concerned at what he's about to do. "Um, what are you doing?" She asked.

He didn't answer. Now, people might wonder how he learned to do all of these since he was a virgin. Well, for the first time in his life, he's thanking the mandatory Sex Ed classes students were forced to take up during high school.

Bran sniffed between her legs, making her shiver as he breathed against her cunt. He gave her a smirk before going on to drag his tongue against her wet folds.

An involuntary moan escaped Meera's lips. "Bran—oh my gods!" She jerked her hips in surprise.

Hearing Meera's moans completely turned him on, so he spread her legs further apart and continued sucking on her folds, making her groan loud to the point of almost screaming. _Damn, she tastes _so_ good,_ He thought.

Meera reached out and raked his auburn hair gently as she cried out in pleasure. "Ahh, Bran!" She moaned.

Bran stopped as he was painfully hard. It's as if his cock was begging to be free from his boxers. He sat back on the bed before Meera's legs spread open.

Meera was breathing hard, then she hoisted herself up on her elbows and sat up. She placed one hand on his shoulder, pulling him towards her again and the other on his throbbing cock, tugging on his boxers.

She closed the space between them as she pulled him into another kiss, before pulling away. "Bran," She said, still panting. "I want you." She pleaded. "And I want you now."

Bran obliged and took off his boxers, showing off his fully-erected cock.

"Wow." She said in awe as she slowly stroked his length with her hand.

It made him flinch, shut his eyes and let out a moan. He then scrambled on his bed and went to reach for the condom on his nightstand.

Bran bit off one edge of the condom wrapper and opened it. He rolled the condom down from the head of his cock to the base and climbed on top of her.

He froze as he glanced at her again, with his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't read her expression. Maybe she was scared or excited, he couldn't tell.

Seeing him freeze up, her expression softened. She straightened up and brushed back his hair that had fallen over his forehead. Then her hand fell to his jaw, gesturing him to come forward.

He then pushed his cock into her, making her groan.

While he pushed into her, one of her arms slid up behind her and grabbed the sheets. He was quiet until he had pushed all the way into her. He then let out a choked breath, head falling forward.

_Oh, gods, Meera_. Bran thought. He needed a second to collect himself. When he opened his eyes, he managed to see her panting.

Bran thrust again, making her gasp. He straightened himself and began pumping into her, which made her heave loudly. He pounded forward harder, watching her as her teeth bit down her lower lip and let out a hum.

He gripped at her thighs roughly as he thrust into her, closing his eyes in concentration.

She moaned and mouthed out curses silently.

With some effort Meera boosted up on her elbows, rising closer to him.

He caught her mouth again with a kiss making her lay flat on the bed again, which made his cock sunk into her further. Her mouth opened under his as she groaned.

Meera wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him in closer, tighter. "Bran—ah!" She muttered. "Please—ugh—don't stop!"

Bran nodded, spread her legs further apart and thrust into her harder and faster, which made Meera moan louder and arching into the surge.

"Oh my gods!" She grunted. "This feels _so_ good. _You_ feel so good—ugh! "

She never finished her sentence as she was too busy moaning out in pleasure. Bran, on the other hand, went back to sucking and biting on her neck before going down to her breasts again, making Meera's screams louder.

He could feel Meera's nails digging onto his back. He had to smile, he loved feeling her clasping and holding onto him. Bran once again caught her mouth into another kiss and they went exploring each other's mouths afterwards.

Suddenly, he could feel himself starting to burst, and it made him groan involuntarily. He broke free from the kiss, grasped her hips and pounded into her faster and harder.

"Meera," Bran whispered as he drilled into her. "I'm coming." He repeatedly said her name before burying himself as deep as he could and then felt himself pulsing into the condom.

Bran collapsed on top of her, with both of them out of breath. He then became aware that Meera was stroking his back with her hands. His skin tingled at every touch of her hand. He had to smile as he buried his face in her brown curls.

He kissed her forehead before pulling himself out of her. He then took off the condom and threw it in the small garbage bin he kept inside the lower cabinet in his right nightstand.

Afterwards, he pulled the covers over them before lying beside her on the bed.

Meera crawled beside him and used his arm as a pillow.

"So, um, how was it?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

"Eleven out of ten," She giggled. "And I'm more than okay. My legs feel like they're shaking though."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing?" She asked. "I got more than what I asked for. It's very satisfying."

Bran smiled. "You can stay overnight if you want." He suggested.

She frowned at him. "I thought you were driving back to Winterfell tonight."

His eyes widened and sat up. "Holy shit!" He cursed. "I totally forgot about that."

Bran had been so caught up with everything, the food, the movie, Summer and Meera that he definitely forgot about going home for his brother, Rickon's graduation.

He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. _22:08_, it read. _Oh, good._ He thought. If they leave now, he could arrive home at midnight.

"Okay, we have to leave asap," Meera suggested. "If we do, you'll arrive in Winterfell before midnight, probably. There isn't that much traffic on the Kingsroad at this hour. But can I use the bathroom first?" She asked.

"Sure," Bran gestured for her to go. "I'll use the one down the hall."

Meera got down from the bed, picked up her clothes on the floor and went for the bathroom. He did the same and headed to the common bathroom down the hall.

He cleaned himself up before putting his clothes back on. He got out of the bathroom just as Meera got out of his room, back into her clothes.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay," He said as he ran back to his room and grabbed Summer's leash harness. "Can you put this on Summer, please? I still need to store all the food."

"Of course," She smiled, taking the leash harness from him. "I'll handle it."

"Thanks." He managed before running downstairs to the pool area.

Meera tended to Summer while he took the plates and food into the penthouse. Bran also returned the woven couch, armchairs and ottoman to where it's supposed to be, in the cabana. He packed the leftovers, so he could bring the chicken and the cupcakes home and give Meera the dynamite spring rolls. And then he placed the plates and wine glasses in the dishwasher.

Afterwards, they headed downstairs and into the garage to his car. They mostly ignored Wex Pyke's teasing looks and kept walking to avoid all suspicions.

Ever since Wex noticed Meera going to the _Aquamarine_ almost everyday, he often asked if Bran had slept with her. But, of course, he'd say no and reply that it's too early for that sort of thing. Now that he had actually slept with her, Bran didn't know how to respond to Wex the next time he asks.

He transferred the doggie seatbelt to the backseat for the meantime so that Meera can ride the shotgun and Summer would be in the back during the ride to the _Greenwood Flats_.

Just as he pulled the car over, Bran hurriedly got out so he could open the shotgun door for her.

"Bran, I told you yesterday," Meera huffed. "You don't have to do that. I can open the car door by myself."

"I know," He insisted. "But you're carrying something."

"It's a bag of dynamite spring rolls, Bran." She pointed out. "Not loads of books."

"But still, I just wanted to help."

Meera rolled her eyes. "Okay, then." She said. "Thanks for the dinner, the movie, the cupcakes, the ride, and… you know." She faltered.

Bran laughed. "The sex."

She hit his arm playfully. "You really had to say that out loud?"

"What?" He giggled. "There's no one else here. Nobody's gonna hear us. Except for Summer." He turned to the backseat car window that was half open, to which Summer poke out his head when he heard his name. "Right, buddy?"

Summer barked in response.

Meera sighed. "Whatever he had just said," She said. "Please, keep it to yourself, Summer."

Summer held out his paw like he was striking a deal with Meera and offered to shake his paw.

She chuckled, shook his paw and gently patted his head. "This is between us, okay?"

Summer barked again. _You can count on me_, he seemed to say.

Meera turned back to Bran. "And you, I trust you won't brag about anything that happened between us tonight."

Bran made a face at her. "And risk being teased to death by my brothers? Seven hells, no!" He said. "Probably the dinner and the movie part, I would. But the thing in my bedroom—that's private. It's between you and me, not something I would brag about to other people."

"Good," She smirked. "Oh, and don't forget. Dinner at my place on Monday. Also, I'm gonna be cooking so don't bring anything."

He nodded. "Message received." Then he frowned. "But wait, isn't your brother vegan? I mean—"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Jojen." She assured. "I got him covered. Anything else?"

Bran crossed his arms. "You're forgetting something." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Meera giggled. "No, I'm not forgetting anything." She said as she surged forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

It was enough to send him in the clouds. "That's more like it." He declared.

"I'll see you on Monday then, Branflakes."

He knitted his eyebrows. "Wait, if I'm a cereal, then you're a star."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"There's a star called _Mira_." He brought up. "Well, it's not the same spelling as your name, but you know, it's pronounced the same."

Meera crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"Astronomers called it, _Mira the Wonderful_," He explained. "It's actually part of the _Cetus, the whale_ constellation. And it's four hundred and twenty light-years away."

Meera stared at him blankly. "I still don't get how this has got to do with me." She said. "And will you please go straight to the point."

"Okay, if you're calling me _Branflakes_, then I'll call you…" He shrugged. "_Stardust_."

"_Stardust_." She repeated, then smiled. "I like that. It's unique. You really have a knack in naming things."

"I've been told that before."

"Right," Meera said. "Now, get going, Branflakes."

"Why are you so anxious for me to leave?"

"Because you need to be home before midnight, remember?" She recalled. "For your brother's graduation tomorrow."

"Right," Bran cupped her face and kissed her. "I'll see you on Monday, Stardust."

Meera snorted. "Take care."

Afterwards, Bran hopped into his car, started the engines and pulled down the car's shotgun window. "Good night." He winked at her.

She waved at him as he drove away.

Bran drove to Winterfell, but he couldn't stop thinking about Meera and everything that happened earlier. He loved the feeling he always had when he's around her. He can't wait to see her again. And when the time comes, he will eventually introduce her to his family.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . **

**Merry Christmas everyone! :)**


	7. Spilling The Tea

**BRAN**

Saturday night and Bran arrived home just ten minutes before midnight to his brothers and sisters in the game room playing videogames.

Bran entered Stark Manor and it was deserted. Suddenly, he heard faint barking. That's when Bran took off Summer's leash harness, which made his dog ran up the grand staircase.

"Summer, what—?" He started to say, before running after him.

He caught up to Summer's paws tapping the glass windows of the game room.

"Oh my gods," Bran could hear the muffled voice of his sister, Sansa's. "It's Summer."

"Then Bran's here." Robb squealed.

Bran opened the glass door, carrying the box of donuts and the bag of chicken. "Hello, fam."

Robb and Sansa were on the corner couch, drinking canned sodas. Arya and Jon were on the carpeted floor, tending to the dogs, while Rickon and Theon were each holding a shotgun rifle videogame controller and focused on their game on the 95-inch large flatscreen. The flatscreen displayed each player's point-of-view in split-screen. And all of them were in their pajamas.

Bran assumed they were only there to humor their youngest brother, Rickon as it was he who used to ask them to play with him when they were kids.

"Bran!" They all exclaimed.

Sansa came to hug him. "Finally, it took you forever."

"Li'l bro," Robb grinned. "It's been a long time."

"Robb, we met last week." Bran reminded him.

Jon gave him a fist bump. "I knew you're gonna find a girlfriend when we meet again."

"Hey, Bran," Arya called. "Did you bring food?"

Jon raised an eyebrow at Arya. "Is food all you care about at this point?"

Arya shrugged as she snatched the box of donuts from him. "He was on a date with Meera before coming here," She turned to him. "Right?"

"Um, yes." He replied.

Rickon turned to them. "Hey, what kind of food did you bring?" He asked.

"Gotcha, Ricky!" Theon chuckled. "Now, die!" He then aimed the shotgun rifle controller on the flatscreen, killing Rickon's character.

"NOOOO!" Rickon cried, dropping the shotgun rifle controller to the floor. "Fuck!"

On Rickon's side of the split-screen, it displayed _Game Over_.

Rickon then sat on the couch between Robb and Sansa, pouting. His dog, Shaggy had then jumped to his lap.

"Relax, baby bro," Robb assured. "It's only a game."

"I know that," Rickon said. "But I got distracted by food."

"And I used that to my advantage." Theon grinned. "Thank the gods for food."

Bran huffed. "Well, might as well eat, Rickon." He said, holding up the food he brought. "I have donuts and chicken."

"Ooh, I'll have the chicken," Rickon said as he opened the brown paper bag and grabbed a piece. "Where did you buy this?" He asked before taking a bite. "Hmm, it's good. But it's definitely not from the _High Marshal_ or the _CARNEval_."

"It isn't," Bran confirmed. "Because I cooked that myself."

Everyone knitted their eyebrows at him.

Robb reached out his hand into the bag. "I'm having some of that."

Everyone else took a piece of the chicken, which Bran had sliced earlier before he packed it. All except Arya, who's happily munching on the donuts.

"Oh my gods," Sansa yelped. "It actually tastes good."

"Since when did you start cooking, Bran?" Theon asked.

"Whoa," Arya stood from her spot on the floor, still holding the box of donuts. "Between the four of you boys, Bran's always the one in the kitchen helping Mom and the staff." She said. "And Jon does the same in Uncle Benjen's kitchen."

"Yeah," Bran said, nodding at Arya. "Thanks, sis."

Theon shrugged. "Hmm, point taken."

Robb wrapped his arm around Bran's shoulder. "Hey, Bran," He said. "Maybe you can cook for me and Talisa next time."

"I'm getting paid, right?" He mockingly asked.

"Couldn't you do it as a favor to me?"

"Seven hells, no," Bran said, shaking his brother's arm off. "I have other stuff to do, and you want me to be your personal chef? Just ask Gage to cook for you."

"He has a point." Jon agreed.

Robb frowned at Jon. "What would you have done?"

Jon shrugged. "If it's a dinner date between me and Ygritte, I'd cook it myself." He said. "That way, I can save money in terms of labor, ambiance, and tips."

"Yes," Bran nodded. "Exactly what I'm thinking. And Meera finds it efficient as well."

Robb's eyes widened. "Ooh, so you _were_ on a date with Meera before coming here?"

Bran could feel himself turning red from embarrassment.

"Duh!" Arya spoke up. "Why do you think he'd cook a whole chicken?"

Robb and Theon gave each other high fives.

"Aww," Sansa sighed giddily. "That's so sweet. And not many guys can actually cook, so that's a plus."

Theon leaned closer to him. "Did you sleep with her after?"

Both Robb and Jon hit him. Sansa threw one of the cushion pillows at him.

"What?" Theon asked, raising his hand in surrender. "It took him a while to get here. I assume they did something else besides eating dinner." He wiggled his eyes at him.

"We only watched a movie." Bran lied.

"Is that your code for sex?" Rickon asked in between bites.

"What—no!" He protested. "I—why does everybody think that?"

Bran is a terrible liar, and he knew it. He was just hoping everyone will buy his excuse. "We literally just ate dinner and watched a movie." He said. "Nothing else."

Jon frowned at him. "How long was the movie?"

He sighed. "Two hours and twelve minutes."

Arya cleared her throat. "Um, why are we even talking about this?" She asked. "Can I please just eat these donuts in peace? Thank you."

Robb snatched the box of donuts from Arya. "That's enough, donuts, baby sis."

"Hey," Arya complained, then stood and tried to get back the box from Robb. "Give me back my fucking donuts!"

At first, they just laughed it off. But when Arya started climbing onto Robb's back, they had to get involved.

It's also the time, their Mom happened to walk in on them, trying to get Arya off of Robb.

Their Mom, Catelyn walked into the game room in her sleeping robes with her auburn hair down.

"Kids, it's midnight!" Catelyn scolded. "And you're all still here?"

Bran stepped forward. "Mom, I can explain."

"Brandon," Catelyn smiled as she hugged him. "You'll explain tomorrow." She turned to the others. "All of you, off to bed. Now!"

"But Mom—" Robb started to say.

"No buts, Robb." Their Mom interrupted. "It doesn't matter if it's the weekend. Tomorrow is Rickon's graduation and all of you need to get up at six."

Jon and Theon turned off the game and put away the consoles. Arya snatched back the box of donuts from Robb before heading out the game room with Nymeria. Sansa followed after her with Lady on her tail.

Catelyn noticed Rickon was holding a paper bag. "Rickon, what is that?" She asked.

Rickon showed it to her. "Chicken."

Catelyn turned to the older boys. "Did you boys ordered food again?" She demanded. "What did we tell you about ordering food when it's past midnight?"

"We didn't order food, Aunt Cat," Jon answered. "Bran brought it with him when he arrived."

"And he didn't order take-out, Mom." Robb pointed out. "He was cooking."

Their Mom turned to him curiously.

"It's a long story, Mommy." Bran forced out a smile.

Catelyn sighed. "Just go to bed, all of you." She said again. "You need to wake up at six so we can leave at seven-thirty."

"But Mom, isn't that too early?" Rickon complained.

"Rickon, the program starts at eight." Catelyn reminded. "So we need to be there earlier."

Rickon huffed.

"Just wait 'till you're in college, Ricky boy." Theon snorted. "You'll probably dread morning classes."

"Theon!" Catelyn scolded.

"Sorry, Aunt Cat." Theon apologized.

"Now, go!" Catelyn said. "Chop-chop!"

Bran hugged his Mom. "Goodnight, Mom."

Catelyn kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Bran."

They all headed out followed by their dogs.

As Bran laid on his bed, it took him a while to get to sleep. Mostly, because he's still processing everything that happened that night. The time he spent with Meera, well, it's something he hadn't done before. And he loved every second he spent with her.

The following morning, Bran woke up to being hit by a pillow to his face.

"Wakey, wakey, little brother!" Arya said, repeatedly hitting him with a pillow. "Get the fuck up!"

"I'm up!" Bran said as he sat up.

"Good," Arya smirked. "Now, I'm gonna do this to Rickon." She said as she went out of the room.

Bran went to the bathroom to freshen up, got dressed before going to the dining hall for breakfast. His sisters still weren't there.

His brothers were seated by the dining table eating breakfast with their parents. Their Dad Ned was at the head of the table, on his right sat their Mom, Catelyn. Beside Catelyn was an empty seat, which belonged to Sansa, and then there's Rickon and Theon. Across them, on their Dad's left was Robb, next to his brother was Arya's seat. Next to his sister's was Bran's seat, and then Jon.

"Good morning, Bran," Their Mom said. "Now, come eat your breakfast."

He sat next to Jon and across Rickon, who was still sleepy. Their youngest brother's eyes were droopy and he had his chin on the palm of his hand on the table.

Catelyn reached out and swatted Rickon's arm, making him instantly wake up.

"Don't lean your elbows on the table." Catelyn scolded.

Rickon huffed. "I wanna go back to sleep."

Their Dad, Ned leaned forward. "Rickon, what time did you sleep last night?"

"I don't know," Rickon answered groggily. "3am, I think."

Everyone snorted.

Robb shook his head in disbelief. "Well, that explains it."

Bran looked around and noticed his sisters weren't eating on the table with them. "Where's Arya and Sansa?" He asked.

"Oh, you know girls," Theon replied. "They're probably still doing their make-up or picking out an outfit or some other girly stuff."

Arya suddenly came sprinting towards the dining hall and took her seat between Bran and Robb. "I don't even wear make-up, Theon." She argued. "I was drying my hair. If we lived in the south, I would leave it to dry by itself. But we're in the North, it's much colder here and it'll turn into a hairsicle."

"Where's your sister?" Their Dad asked.

"In her room, probably styling her hair?" Arya shrugged. "Honestly, Daddy, I don't know."

A minute past and Sansa entered the dining hall.

"I'm here," Sansa announced as she took her seat and turned to their Mom. "Mom, after the program can we stop at PearlMart?" She asked. "I ran out of keratin hairspray."

"You can go there by yourself, sis." Robb pointed out.

"I know," Sansa replied. "But I won't be driving my car, we're using the van to get to TSA."

Catelyn turned to their other sister Arya across the table. "Arya, can you lend your sister—?"

"NO!" Arya interrupted. "Seven hells, no!"

"Arya," Catelyn called in a warning tone.

"It's okay, Mom." Sansa took a deep breath. "I've fully accepted the fact that Arya hadn't quite grasped the concept of sharing."

Arya snorted. "It's not my fault you miscalculated," She snapped. "You should've bought a dozen."

"Girls!" Their Dad scolded. "Not now, okay? It's early in the morning and you're both having a catfight. And you're fighting over a can of hairspray!"

Catelyn huffed. "Can we just eat our breakfast in peace?"

And they did, though it wasn't unusual for that to happen. There's a reason Arya and Sansa were separated when seated at their dining table—and it's to avoid bloodshed. They tend to argue over the tiniest things, even a can of hairspray.

They went to _Torrhen Stark Academy_ afterwards for Rickon's commencement rights.

Most of Rickon's awards were in the sports he joined: football and ice hockey. In his academics, Bran used to tutor Rickon. But when he went to college in White Harbor, the tutoring duties went to Sansa.

. . .

After the ceremony, his parents hosted lunch.

"Congratulations again, baby brother," Robb said. "Now, you gotta brace yourself for college life."

"Yeah," Theon agreed. "It'll be fun. And you'll have lots of time to explore stuff. But, of course, you should not forget your studies."

Rickon turned to Theon. "Explore what?" He asked.

"Oh, you know," Theon said. "Frat parties, free drinks, girls—" He stopped talking when he noticed everyone was glaring at him. "What?"

"Dude," Jon made a tsk sound. "You're not helping at all."

"Uh, Rickon," Sansa spoke up. "What Theon meant is, that you'll explore a lot of opportunities."

"Yeah," Robb agreed. "Like making new friends by joining a club or an org."

"Or an activist group." Arya pointed out.

"Or the football team." Theon added.

Rickon beamed. "I know." He said. "And I get to live at the penthouse alone."

Their Mom, Catelyn cleared her throat. "No, you won't be alone." She explained. "Your father and I have talked about it. Bran will be reviewing for the boards after his graduation, so we decided that he'll stay in White Harbor to watch over you."

_Of course,_ Bran thought. Their youngest brother is literally a force to be reckoned with. That's why their staff dubbed him, the _Wild Wolf_ in the family. Plus, Bran never complained as he would have another reason to stay in White Harbor other than seeing Meera.

Rickon seemed to like the idea, and he was more excited than annoyed. "Nice!" He squealed. "That way I'll have a tutor to help me with school stuff." He turned to Bran across the table. "And you'll get to keep seeing Meera too."

At the mention of Meera's name, Bran's eyes widened. Both his sisters exchanged nervous glances. Robb, Jon and, Theon exchanged smirks but didn't say anything. Only his parents looked confused.

Their Dad, Ned turned to him. "Who is this Meera?" He asked.

But before any of them could say anything, Rickon blurted out. "Bran's girlfriend!" Then he looked down. "Oh, sorry."

His brothers and sisters all snickered.

"That came out of nowhere," Arya said.

Catelyn smiled. "Brandon, since when did you have a girlfriend?"

Bran could feel himself blushing. "Uh…" He faltered.

"You should invite her over," Ned offered. "Introduce her to the family. That way, we'd get to know her better."

"Nice!" Arya beamed. "Don't worry, Daddy. You'll like her."

Ned frowned at Arya. "You've met her already?"

Arya shrugged. "Yeah, like last Friday."

Catelyn turned to Sansa. "Is that why you went with Arya in White Harbor?"

"Nope, I went because I was bored." Sansa said.

Arya glared at their sister before turning to her parents. "No, I handed my registration fee to Jorelle. We're attending a seminar in Harrenhal in two weeks."

Ned nodded. "Oh, that's good," He said. "That way, you can achieve the required CPD points within one cycle." Then knitted his eyebrows. "Who is Jorelle again?"

"Mormont, Dad," Robb pointed out. "Maege Mormont's daughter, the fourth one."

Catelyn cleared her throat. "Arya, you could've just told Bran to hand Jorelle the registration fee," She suggested. "So you didn't have to go to White Harbor."

"Well, uh," Arya said. "I had to fill up some papers as well."

"Hey," Rickon spoke up. "Didn't you and Sansa—"

Sansa interrupted by stuffing garlic bread into Rickon's mouth. "You talk too much, baby brother." She said. "Just eat."

"Hmm, this is good," Rickon said with a mouthful of garlic bread. "But didn't you run into Bran and Meera while eating at the _CARNEval_?"

_Here we go_, Bran thought. Rickon tended to reveal things that were supposed to be a secret, most of the time. Right then, he wanted to put duct tape on his younger brother's mouth to shut him up.

"Oh, yeah," Theon snickered. "She's pretty, by the way."

"And badass!" Jon added. "One of the few women in the archery team, I mean, that's a plus."

"So you've all met her?" Ned asked.

All of Bran's brothers shook their heads.

"No, Dad," Robb said. "Just the girls."

"Sansa shared a pic of her in our group chat." Rickon blurted out.

Now, Bran wanted to put foam sealant in Rickon's mouth rather than duct tape.

"Rickon," Bran gritted his teeth. "When will you ever shut up?"

Rickon shrugged. "What?"

"You've always wondered why we never tell you anything," Arya said. "And _this_ is why."

"Anyways, Dad," Robb said, then pulled out his phone. He made a few swipes on it before showing it to their father. "There's the pic Sansa sent us."

Ned took the phone from Robb to take a closer look at it with their Mom.

"Ooh, she _is_ pretty," Catelyn remarked as she squinted on the phone's screen. "And you brought Summer with you on your date?"

"Mom," Sansa spoke up. "It's the _CARNEval_. Ever since we got the dogs, Uncle Edmure made every chain TFC owned pet-friendly. That goes for _The Burger Lab_ too, remember?" She reminded her.

"And we were there too, Mom," Arya added. "With Lady and Nymeria."

"I know that," Catelyn said. "But taking your dog on a date? Bran, was she okay with that?"

"She was totally fine with it." Bran explained. "She actually loved having Summer around and even insisted on holding his leash while we walked towards the CARNEval."

"Walked?" Ned raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't ride your car?"

Bran shrugged. "Well, no." He said. "We sort of, have the same mindset. She also has a car, but she usually just walks to get to places because it'll save her gas money."

"Ooh, I like her already," Robb said. "Not the typical _I-want-this, I-want-that_ kind of girl. You've hit the jackpot, little brother."

Arya snorted. "You should take after Bran when it comes to picking out girls who are whole packages, Robb." She said. "And somewhat of a sister-by-law-material."

Robb cleared his throat. "Um, hello, baby sis?" He said. "I'm getting married within the year." He reminded her. "And I thought you said Talisa was a sister-by-law-material."

"She is," Arya agreed. "But she's like, what? Your tenth girlfriend? Ninth? And don't worry, I like Talisa."

"Fifth," Robb corrected. "And why does this matter?"

"Dude, I agree with your sister," Theon spoke up. "Because the first time, you'd never looked past the appearance."

"Okay, I get it." Robb snapped. "Geez. But I'm still glad Bran finally has a girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Bran countered.

"_Yet!_" Robb, Jon, and Theon said in unison. "Ooh!" They chuckled and then gave each other air high fives because they sat too far apart.

. . .

That afternoon, their Mom came to see Bran in his room. And he did not expect it, at all. He was merely brushing off Summer's fur when the knock came and his mother entered the room.

"Hey, Mommy," Bran greeted.

When he saw that his Mom bought him a tray with a plate of cookies and a cup of hot chocolate, that's when he knew. It had been a thing she does when she wanted to talk to him, alone.

"I brought you cookies," Catelyn said as she placed the tray on his nightstand. "And hot chocolate to wash it down."

Bran took one cookie and took a bite. "Thanks, Mom."

Catelyn sat next to him, "So, I'd like to know more about this girl, Meera."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, um, don't freak out," He warned. "But she's actually a few years older than me."

"I know age doesn't matter but, how old are we talking about?"

"Not much," He promised. "She's just about Robb's age, just a few months younger. Well, younger than Robb, but older than Sansa."

"Oh, I would assume she has a job already." She said.

"Yes, she's a journalist in _The Northern Herald_," He explained. "That's how I met her. Remember that article on my win with _Water as Fuel_? She was the one who wrote it."

"How did you get to the dating phase?" She asked. "I'm curious about how you asked out a journalist."

Bran recalled and told his Mom what happened, that he asked Meera out to a Poetry Slam in _Starkgrand Coffee_ and watched a movie with her. He told his Mom everything between him and Meera, but of course, leaving out the explicit details and the illegal picking of winter roses in the conservatory.

"She seems like a wonderful person," Catelyn stated. "I would love to meet her personally." She then gave him a side hug. "Aww, I can't believe my little Bran is already in love."

Bran could feel himself turning red. "Mom!" He complained.

"Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of." She assured. "It's normal in people your age. And I have a very good feeling about her too."

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

"Your sisters both seem to like her." Catelyn pointed out. "And those two agreeing on something rarely ever happens. And I always see it as a good sign."

_Right_, he thought. He remembered how Arya and Sansa put aside their differences and stole a dozen winter roses from the conservatory for him to give to Meera. And their Mom considered it as a good sign.

Bran showed his Mom another pic of Meera while they were eating dinner by the pool in their penthouse from his phone.

"I'm just lucky that she didn't go home to Greywater yesterday." He recalled. "Or that whole thing wouldn't have been possible."

Catelyn frowned. "Greywater?"

"Greywater Watch," He informed. "You know, that town in the Neck. that's Meera's hometown."

His Mom suddenly had a worried expression, which Bran did not understand.

"Well, that would explain her green eyes," Catelyn said. "It's common among descendants of Crannogmen to have green eyes." She cleared her throat. "And what's her family name?"

"Reed." He answered. "You've heard about that berries plantation in the Neck, right, Mom? Their family owns that. It's where the TFC get their berries too, right? And they supply berries all across Westeros."

Catelyn's worried expression deepened, then she smiled as if nothing happened. "Well, anyway," She said looking back at the pic on his phone. "How did you manage to pull this off at the penthouse?"

"Well, most of them were things Arya and Sansa had left before moving out after graduating." He explained. "Sansa left some scented candles, and Arya left some of those unusual candleholders and those DIY yarn balls."

"And what table did you use for this?"

"It's the coffee table in the cabana." He informed. "I just had to move the couch out of there to make room."

"Hmm, this is an A+ for effort," His Mom approved. "But you shouldn't spoil her too much. Those were Robb and Jon's mistakes with their past girlfriends."

"I know, Mom," Bran said. "Meera said the same thing. She even said we could've just eaten in the dining hall. And she loved the food, by the way."

Catelyn nodded. "Oh, yes, the chicken," She recalled. "I took the bag from your brother last night. I tasted it and it _is_ good."

Bran shrugged. "Well, I learned from the best." He said. "All those times I watched and helped you cook in the kitchen paid off."

His Mom chuckled, then booped his nose. "Look how far you've come." She said before standing up, picking up the tray and putting the plate of cookies and cup of hot chocolate on his nightstand. "Well, I better get going. Your Dad said something about discussing on how to deal with Rickon being away from us unsupervised."

Bran chuckled. "Okay, Mom," He said. "And don't worry, you can trust me with Rickon."

Catelyn kissed his forehead. "I'll see you at dinner." She then left his room, leaving him alone with Summer.

That same night after dinner, Bran drove back to White Harbor. But on his Mom's insistence, Summer wasn't allowed to go back with him so Bran left his dog in the care of his sister, Arya while he was gone.

Bran arrived in the penthouse at around ten at night. He sent a few text messages to Meera before dozing off.

The following morning he woke up to Beren pounding on his door.

_"Stark!"_ Beren called out. _"It's an hour to grad rehearsals! We need to be on campus by eight."_

Bran glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. _07:03_, it read.

"Oh, shit!" He cussed as he quickly got up. "It's seven! Why didn't you wake me up?"

Bran had fallen asleep amidst texting Meera that he forgot to set an alarm for the following day. And since Summer wasn't there with him, Bran didn't have anyone else waking him up. In the last week, Summer had been his alarm clock. His dog would just lick his face and walk all over him on the bed.

_"Dude?"_ Beren said, knocking again. _"Are you alright? I thought you're already up."_

"I'll be down in fifteen."

He took the quickest possible shower, then got dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Beren was sitting by the kitchen's island counter, eating pizza. When Bran got there, he looked around like he was looking for someone. "Where's Summer?" He asked.

"Oh, my Mom didn't allow me to take him."

"Damn!" Beren said, taking a slice of pizza from the plate. "I was starting to warm up to him. Oh, I didn't cook, by the way. I just reheated these pizzas in the microwave."

Bran sat down across from him. "So you ordered pizza and reheated it?"

"I didn't order them," Beren explained. "My cousin, Eddara ordered like three dozens for the entire clan, so I took four boxes with me last night and put it in the fridge. Now, I reheated two pizzas."

Bran nodded. "What time did you arrive last night?"

Beren shrugged. "I don't know, I think around eleven, almost to midnight." He said. "By the way, I can't find the hot sauce. Where is it?"

"I got it," Bran said, then placed it on the counter.

"Oh, thank the gods." Beren said, then poured some on his slice of pizza. And just as he took one bite, his eyes widened. "Fuck!" He cursed, dropping the pizza back to the plate, ran to the fridge and drank milk from the carton.

"Dude, are you okay?" Bran asked.

"I like hot sauce," Beren said. "But that is not the typical hot sauce, man. And it's still burning in my mouth." He drank more milk. "What is that made from?"

Bran read the bottle's label. "_Minisa's God's Eye Reaper Hot Sauce_."

The God's Eye Reapers are the hottest peppers in all of Westeros. It's called such because they first grew near the _God's Eye Lake_ in the Riverlands. And the bottle that Bran had was processed from factories of _Minisa Foods and Beverages_ of the _Tully Foods Corp_.

"Are you trying to fucking kill me?" Beren said, after finishing the carton of milk. "I cannot handle God's Eye Reapers."

"Sorry," He apologized. "I think there's still some Dornish Tabasco in there as well."

"That, I can handle." Beren confirmed before taking it from the cupboard.

Beren's reaction was of a typical Northerner, as his Mom would say. According to her who's of the Riverlands, Northerners are not into spicy stuff. And the hot sauce bottle itself that they had was the one their Mom brought from when she visited her family in Riverrun.

In their family, they are divided among those who liked the spicy stuff. Besides their Mom, there was Arya, Rickon and Bran himself, and even Theon. The others: Robb, Jon, Sansa and together with their Dad can't even stand a single drop of ordinary hot sauce.

Beren poured Tabasco sauce into his pizza and bit into it. "Hmm, that's better." He said. "It's better than the sweet sauce my brother likes to put in his pizzas."

"Speaking of your brother," Bran spoke up. "How was it meeting his girlfriend?"

"Oh, about that," Beren said. "You're right, she's a general's daughter or something. And she's a Mormont."

Bran raised an eyebrow. "There are two Mormont men in the military and they don't have daughters." He informed. "I think you mean she's a general's niece or…cousin. And it's Dacey Mormont, right?"

"Right, how did you know?" Beren asked.

"There are currently only six Mormont women," Bran explained. "The general's sister, Maege Mormont and she has five daughters. The eldest, Dacey, joined the military; the second-born, Alysane, works alongside their Mom in the electric company. The three youngest are currently in White Harbor. The third-born, Lyra is a journalist in _The Northern Herald_—I would know because she's Meera's colleague; the fourth-born, Jorelle works in the north office of _Stormbreaker Telecom_; and the youngest, Lyanna, is studying law in UWH and is graduating with us."

Beren nodded. "Wow, your family _does_ have a lot of connections."

"Scary, I know." He confirmed.

"Anyways," Beren's smirk returned. "How did it go with Meera last Saturday?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Uh, it went great." Bran forced out a smile.

"Hmm, right," Beren teased. "Dude, I counted the contents in that box before I left, and I counted it again this morning. And it's missing one! That means—!"

"Wait!" He interrupted. "Don't say it."

"So, you up for tequilas tonight?" Beren beamed. "It's my treat."

"No!" Bran disagreed. "I don't give a fuck about free tequilas. And it's Monday." He reminded him.

Beren shrugged. "So?"

"You can't be drunk on Monday." He insisted. "And besides, didn't you said once that a single shot of tequila costs two gold dragons? And aren't you merely relying on drinking tequila when it's on someone else's tab or if it's in the _Old Mint_?"

Beren made a face. "Oh, right." He said. "But there are alternatives to drinking tequila."

"Dude, no!" Bran argued. "Just wait until we get up on that stage and get our diplomas. After that, you can drink all the fucking shots of tequila that you can."

Beren sighed. "Fine."

Beren always reminded Bran of his younger brother, Rickon. He liked to do things without thinking about the consequences that will happen after. Except, he didn't have ADHD. In other words, he's reckless.

"By the way, you're driving to school today, right?" Beren asked.

"Uh, yes." He replied. "Because I'll be late if I'll walk."

"Good, because I'm hitching the ride with you." Beren declared. "My car's gasket got blown last night just as I got into White Harbor, so I had it towed to a shop. But don't worry, I'm not hitching the ride back here because I know you're still gonna see Meera, right?"

"Well, yes—" He started to say.

"Ooh!" Beren clapped his hands. "You know, there are still some left in that box. You can take some."

"Seriously?" Bran snapped. "Not tonight. Especially if we're in the same flat as her brother's."

"Right, of course," Beren agreed. "That would be awkward."

. . .

They arrived at the UWH auditorium just in time for grad rehearsals as the graduating students were sorted and arranged alphabetically for the march and their assigned seats, regardless of which degree program they came from and if whether they had the Latin honors or not.

The UWH graduation committee had started decorating the stage for the event this weekend.

The auditorium's seats were arranged in rows of ten, and Bran's seat was on the eighth of the sixth row on the right side facing the stage.

Bran was quite familiar with the other people in their row. And yes, he was in the same row as Lyanna Mormont; his roommate, Beren Tallhart and even Meera's brother, Jojen Reed.

Most of the people in their row were Northerners, with a mix of one Riverman or a person from the Riverlands. It was quite typical that most Rivermen prefer going to college North—Bran's Mom, Catelyn, and Uncle Edmure graduated in UWH—partly because it was less crowded and White Harbor isn't as densely populated as Harrenhal in the Riverlands, Gulltown in the Vale, Lannisport in the Westerlands, Oldtown in the Reach or King's Landing in the Crownlands; Other Rivermen families who prefer sending their children to study college in White Harbor are the Freys, Blackwoods, Brackens, and Pipers.

White Harbor also had the cheaper tuitions/quality education benefits and it embraces diversity than most Westerosi trade cities—several people from Essos or the Summer Isles prefer to settle in White Harbor because their weird culture and practices weren't looked down upon, but respected.

Bran had a few friends who are foreign exchange students from different parts of the world. There was Xhondo Dhoru, a senior Summer Islander whom he had sat next to during his sophomore year—he remembered him specifically because he always spoke in the third person like he was narrating a story starring himself; then there was Denyo Terys, a Braavosi exchange student who was in the same math class as Bran was, whom he tutored in solving shear and moment diagrams; and there's Lysono Maar, whom Bran was assigned to do a midterm project in a mandatory course, he was a Lysene scholar of the _Triumvirate Dragons Inc._—a conglomerate company based in Pentos in the United Free Cities.

Since Bran was on the eighth seat, he was too far away from the central aisle. The one close to the aisle on the first seat was Clatton Marsh, and judging by his last name Bran assumed he was of Crannogmen descent from Greywater Watch, the town in the Neck. Second on the row, was Lyanna Mormont, and then Brandon Norrey. He remembered that the family name, Norrey is one of the mountains clans who once settled on the _Kings of Winter_—the Northern mountain range—but are now living in the nearby a city/town, either in Deepwood Motte, Highpoint or Ironrath. Next was Lewys Piper of Pinkmaiden in the Riverlands, and Bran had also known that his older brother, Marq works for his Uncle Edmure in the _Tully Foods Corp_ or commonly known as _TFC._

On the fifth seat was Jojen Reed, Meera's younger brother; and then Roose Ryswell, who's family business is manufacturing glass, the _79 Sentinels_ in the Rills. The one on Bran's left was a Skagosi from the town of Driftwood, Carron Stane; then there's Bran himself on the eighth seat. On his right was Ronnel Stout from the town of Goldgrass east of Barrowton. On the last seat was Beren Tallhart.

After their lunch break, they were asked to return to the auditorium by 1pm. And as they waited, Bran decided to approach Jojen on his plan of surprising Meera at work.

Jojen was sitting at the bottom of a tree on the quad in front of the UWH auditorium. And he was eating a bag of banana chips while reading a _Nat Geo_ magazine.

"Jojen," He called.

Jojen looked up from his magazine. "Oh, hey, Bran," He acknowledged, adjusting his eyeglasses. "What's up?" He offered the pack of banana chips on his hand. "Banana chips?"

"Um, no, I'm good." Bran cleared his throat. "So, your sister invited me to your place for dinner tonight." He brought up.

"Oh, yeah," Jojen nodded. "She mentioned that around fifty times, I believe. What about it?" He asked.

"Well, I'm planning on picking her up from work." He suggested. "And you can hitch the ride if you want."

"Are you sure?" Jojen asked. "I'm not gonna be interrupting you guys or anything?"

"Oh, no, it's fine." He assured.

Jojen shrugged. "Cool, thanks."

"By the way," Bran said. "Meera didn't drive to work today, did she?"

Jojen shook his head. "Nope, she never drives to work on Mondays, because it's when traffic congestion is at its worst." Then he frowned. "Wait, does she know you're picking her up?"

"Actually, no," He admitted. "It's going to be a surprise."

"Oh, okay." Jojen nodded. "I'll stay in the backseat then."

Suddenly, Bran felt someone poking his arm. "Hey, Stark." A female voice called.

He turned and saw Lyanna Mormont with an expanded envelope and a piece of bond paper in her hands, which she handed to him.

"Um, Lya, wha—what are these?" He asked as he took them.

"Okay, so," Lyanna started to say. "Remember when you didn't show up last Friday because you were on something important regarding your sisters and you asked me to write your name on the attendance sheet? Turns out Professor Bartimus distributed the program sheets for the graduation rites." She explained. "That paper, he says you need to fill it up and hand it to the registrar before Wednesday."

He nodded. "Thanks, Mormont."

"Oh, by the way," Lyanna added. "He also remarked that because you're the only one who got the highest distinction, you are to prepare a speech for the assembly."

Hearing it, it's as if the blood drained from his body. "WHAT?" Bran shrieked. "But—but I'm terrible at public speaking!"

"Don't rant on me," She countered. "I'm only telling you what Professor Bartimus told me to tell you. If you want to voice out your complaints, go directly to him."

Bran hated public speaking. And when he does, he'll usually stutter and sweat. Sure, his Dad is Governor of the North region, but unfortunately, he got none of his Dad's good public speaking ability.

Among his siblings, Bran can point at Robb, mostly, because he was the diplomat among them. And Bran thought his parents chose Robb to take over as CEO of Stark Industries, not because of him being a lawyer by profession or the eldest son, but of his good communication skills. He'll likely volunteer to do such public speeches. Much like when they were younger and they did something bad, they'd all push Robb to do the explaining to their parents. His response was like: _You want me to talk to them? Okay_.

Jon was the quiet one that you'll mostly forget that he's still in the same room as you. He's very observant and he's usually the first one to figure out if something's wrong. But he's still good with people, unlike Bran—a shy and socially awkward person. Theon was the talkative one, but when you place him in front of a large audience, he'll shrink and hide. Sansa also has good communication skills. She's basically like a female version of Robb.

Arya is loud and very opinionated and swears a lot. She was part of activist groups when they were in college and pretty much said whatever she wanted to say to the point of not caring if it got her in trouble. Back in Ramsay Bolton's trial, where they charged him with trespassing into Stark Manor; an attempted rape of their sister Sansa; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (he had a gun); and two counts of frustrated homicide on Robb and Theon—to which Ramsay pleaded _not guilty_ to his crimes, Arya flew into a rage. And when the judge threatened to hold her in contempt, she told him to fuck off and got out of the courtroom. It was funny, brave and stupid at the same time.

And Rickon, he's also loud and talkative that he unintentionally revealed stuff that he's not meant to. But since he's ADHD, they'd all just be careful what to say around him.

"This is ridiculous," Bran said in frustration.

"Don't worry," Lyanna assured. "I'm pretty sure you can write a piece and—"

"Oh, sure," He replied. "I can write a piece just fine. But reading it to like, hundreds of people is a whole different story."

Lyanna snorted. "Well, you better start getting used to it." She said. "You're one of the governor's sons after all."

"I am not my Dad, okay?" He countered. "Or my brothers."

Before Lyanna can reply, a passerby patted Jojen on his shoulder.

"Reed!" One guy said. "Thanks for helping us in grafting."

Jojen shrugged. "No problem."

Lyanna frowned at Jojen. "Reed?" Then she gasped. "Oh, wait—you're Meera's brother!" She snapped her fingers. "Um—?"

"Jojen," Jojen introduced himself.

"Right," She said. "And I'm—"

"Oh, I know who you are." Jojen interrupted. "You're one of the Mormont girls. And my sister is your sister's colleague."

"Yes," She nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm just really terrible with names."

Bran chuckled. "Hey, you're going to be a lawyer soon." He pointed out. "Worst-case scenario if you forget your client's name in the middle of a court hearing."

"Shut it, Stark!" Lyanna snapped, then sighed. "Alright, I see what you did there. Point taken."

"Don't let it happen, though," Jojen said.

Lyanna raised an eyebrow at him. "I won't," She promised, then cleared her throat. "Anyways, your sister made a great catch with this one." She pointed at Bran. "His type is rare."

"Don't worry, Lya," Bran said. "One of these days, you'll find a boyfriend."

Lyanna glared at him. "Look, I've had enough of these from my sisters, I don't need it from you." She then turned to leave. "I'll see you guys around."

When Lyanna was out of earshot, Jojen spoke up. "Wow, and I thought Lyra was the grumpy one."

"Holy shit!" Bran laughed. "You know, my brother used to joke about that."

He spent the next fifteen minutes chatting with Jojen before they were called into the auditorium.

**MEERA**

Monday morning and Meera felt reinvigorated than usual, maybe because she was too excited to see Bran again.

She woke up earlier than usual and redid some of the things she had done in their spring cleaning the day before. Afterwards, she took a shower, got dressed and went to the kitchen.

Jojen got out of his room with a towel slung over his shoulder and heading towards the bathroom just as Meera was cooking their breakfast.

"Hey," She called.

"Good morning," Her brother replied groggily. "I still have to take a shower."

"I invited Bran for dinner tonight and—" She brought up.

"I know," Jojen interrupted. "You've been talking about him all weekend."

Before Meera can say anything, Jojen slammed the bathroom door shut.

Meera understood her brother's annoyance. She had been talking endlessly about Bran while they were doing the spring cleaning last Sunday that it's probably becoming annoying on his part. Despite all of that, Jojen had made it known that he liked Bran because they were similar in many ways.

She hadn't told their parents about Bran though. And she didn't know how they will take if they find out that Bran is actually younger than her. But she had good reasons and will stand her ground if she has to.

Halfway through cooking breakfast, Jojen got out of the bathroom and into his room. And just as she plated the food, her brother went for the dining table, waiting.

A minute later, Meera placed everything on the table, the cinnamon Myrish toasts and the blueberry oatmeal waffles.

"Here you go," She said as she placed the mugs of wild berries herbal tea on the table. "Bon appétit."

They prefer drinking tea in the mornings rather than coffee because it's caffeine-free, it can strengthen the immune system and can help reduce stress throughout the day.

"Thanks," Jojen said, holding his cup of tea to his mouth, then grumbled when the steam fogged up his glasses, prompting him to take them off as he sipped his tea. "Hmm, what kind of tea is this?" He asked.

"It's called _Wildberries Fusion_," She informed. "I couldn't find our usual flavor in _PearlMart_ so I opted to that."

"It actually tastes better," He remarked. "I'll prefer drinking this from now on. Is this product from _The Golden Rose_, _Minisa's_ or _Redwyne's_?"

"_Minisa's_," Meera confirmed.

Jojen wiped the moist off his glasses. "Oh, so it's produced in the Riverlands," He said as he put his glasses on. "I'm pretty sure they got the berries from us."

"Where do you think?" She shrugged. "We're the only supplier of berries in Westeros because they only grow in the Neck."

"For now," He said.

Meera frowned at her brother. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when Cley Cerwyn asked me to help them graft plants?" Jojen recalled as he sliced through the blueberry oatmeal waffles. "Well, those friends of his were taking the off-term thesis course. And one of their proposed titles was to solve soil erosion in Redfort in the Vale."

"What in the old gods has this got to do with berries?" She asked.

"I have a point, just hear me out." He promised. "Their solution was tree-planting."

Meera snorted. "Of course," She said, not surprised.

"Tree-planting projects are actually great." Jojen pointed out, fixing his glasses. "It creates oxygen, store water, house wildlife, etc. But the one flaw that organizers seem to miss is choosing the right species to plant. The most common is Mahogany. I mean, it can transform the soil until it becomes what it needs to be, but there's a huge consequence." He continued. "Think of it this way, if it's a person, it's a self-centered, _me-before-anyone-else_ motherfucker. And it doesn't care what the others around it are feeling."

"Oh my gods," Meera snickered. "I think you just described my boss."

"They choke out other plants in the area and devoid wildlife." He explained. "Technically, you won't see moss on the ground or insects on its leaves or birds on its branches."

"It sounds depressing." She stated. "Do we have mahoganies near the plantation?"

"Not that we know of," He said, then took a bite from the waffles. "But if there is, I'm telling Dad to cut it off because they'll suck the nutrients out of the berries."

"Now that you mention it, I think they're probably better off as furniture."

"Hey, they're termite-resistant!" Jojen agreed. "Perfect wood furniture. But you know, I'm still putting several coats of wood varnish just to be sure. Anyways, Mahoganies grow best in places with warm climate so—"

"But Vale doesn't have a warm climate." She reminded him.

"I know, I pointed that out," He said. "So they just speculated on planting runner plants instead, mentioning the most common runner plant: strawberries."

"Uh, oh." Her eyes widened. "Strawberries growing on Redfort? Will that work?"

Jojen shook his head. "I can't say," He admitted. "They'll probably have to do some soil tests to prove that or if their soil has similar particles than that in Greywater—"

"Dude," She interrupted. "Would you please speak the Common tongue?"

Jojen took a deep breath. "Climate-wise, it's plausible." He said. "Both the North and the Vale have cold climates. But with slight differences: it's cold in the Vale because they're high up in the mountains; it's cold here in the North because of our geographical location."

Meera nodded as she finished her Myrish toasts. "Hmm, question. Does altitude affect plant growth?" She asked.

"Oh, definitely." He confirmed. "Plants tend to grow slower in higher elevation because the soil is not as fertile as the low-lying areas. And not all plants survive in high altitude—it's the same way you won't see a single pine tree on top of _Brandon's Peak_."

At that point, Meera had only realized that she underestimated her brother's love for plants. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

As Meera washed the dishes, Jojen did his morning routine of watering his potted plants and then placing them out the balcony for sunlight. And sometimes, she'll even catch Jojen talking to the plants like they were actual people. The first time she caught him, he was embarrassed and explained that talking to the plants help them grow. From then on, it became a normal occurrence and she didn't bother him when he did his thing.

Jojen had also labeled each potted plant that he had with wooden plant stake labels, complete with the plant's name and its scientific name.

Last Saturday, her brother had unwrapped the bouquet of winter roses Bran had given her. He cut off three roses—leaves, thorns, flower petals and all, and used the stems to replant them. And he had already placed a label on it: _Winter Rose_, then below it was the scientific name: _Rosa caeruleum_. That same day, she had then arranged the remaining winter roses into a bouquet centerpiece for the coffee table in the living room.

Afterwards, Meera walked to work. She never drove her car on Mondays because the streets are always busy and congested—except for last week where she delivered a copy of _The Northern Herald_ to Bran in the _Aquamarine_ because if she walked, it would take too long.

As she arrived at _The Northern Herald_, she clocked in and rode the elevator up. When she walked towards her cubicle, only then did she notice that she was earlier than usual.

Between her two colleagues, Gwyn and Lyra, she was never the first one to arrive.

A few minutes later, Gwyn arrived and frowned when she saw her.

"Hi," Meera greeted.

"You're earlier than usual." Gwyn noticed. "It's kinda weird…and suspicious."

"Suspicious? Really?" She asked. "You think I'm up to something?"

"I don't know, something's just different about you today," Gwyn said. "And I can't tell what."

Suddenly, Lyra popped up from her cubicle and leaned on the divider. "What up, neighbors!" She greeted with a grin.

"Good morning," Meera smiled.

Lyra's grin disappeared and was replaced by a frown. Then she reached out her arm and touched Meera's forehead with the back of her hand. The same way people check if they had a fever.

"Reed, are you okay?" Lyra asked.

Meera swatted Lyra's hand away. "What the fuck are you doing?" She asked. "I'm not sick."

"Yeah, but you're not usually like this."

"Like what?"

"All smiles and bubbly on a Monday morning," Lyra blurted out. "Unless you're Gwyn, that's understandable. Something's up."

"I agree," Gwyn interjected. "Something happened over the weekend. My theory is, it had something to do with Bran. Am I right?"

Before Meera could say anything, Lyra gasped. "Oh my gods, you finally slept with him?"

"What? No!" She lied. "I still don't understand why everybody thinks that."

The first time they asked that question, she was kinda mad. As everyone just assumes after a date, something else will happen. But no, not her and Bran, they were different. Now that it finally happened over the weekend, it was hard pretending to be mad in front of her friends that nothing happened.

Thankfully, they bought it.

"Ooh, I know!" Gwyn exclaimed. "He kissed you, already." She guessed.

Meera was pretty sure the smile on her face says it all.

Both Gwyn and Lyra squealed and gave each other high fives.

"Oh my gods!" Gwyn said, clapping her hands in excitement. "Finally!"

"Good for you, Meera," Lyra smirked. "Bran is the tamest among the Stark boys."

"Tamest?" Gwyn repeated. "What do you mean? Are the other Stark boys troublemakers?"

"Not really," Lyra replied. "Robb is the golden boy—being a lawyer and CEO. Theon, the foster kid, is a womanizer—but according to Sansa, he's never actually had a girlfriend. Jon, the military officer, is the gloomy one. And Rickon, well, there's a reason why they call him the wild wolf in the family."

"Bran is obviously the smart one." Gwyn continued. "But what about the girls?"

"Sansa is Miss Popular, but the good kind and Arya is the witty and rebellious one and do not ever cross her."

"Uh, excuse me," Meera spoke up. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"This is about your boyfriend and his siblings' dynamics." Gwyn pointed out. "Trust me, you don't know how Asher handled it when my brothers interrogated him. By the way, has he met Jojen?" She asked.

"Yep," Meera said. "They seem to get on really well."

"That's good news," Lyra said. "They're kind of similar in a way if you ask me. Bran always has his nose on his books as Jojen is on his plants."

"That's a nice way of putting it." She remarked.

Another colleague of theirs stopped by her cubicle. Donnel Locke, a guy from downtown White Harbor. He was hired a year ago and his cubicle was at the end of their row.

"Meera," Donnel called. "Did Tyrek come by today like he always does?" He asked.

"No, thank the gods," Meera replied. "I hope it stays this way."

Donnel snorted. "So, it's true."

"What is, Don?" Gwyn asked.

Donnel leaned in closer. "I heard Tyrek got reprimanded by the HR department last Friday, because of that incident on the lobby with the dog."

"Oh my gods," Lyra said in a small voice. "That is music to my ears. Go on, Don."

"They have CCTV footage," Donnel continued. "And they viewed it as turning down a client or something. And I think you guys remember that good customer service is a priority in this company. The thing that makes it even more serious is because the guy he turned away is the governor's son."

All three of them exchanged surprised looks.

"What are the consequences of his actions?" Meera asked.

"They said he's on probation," Donnel explained. "He could be demoted or worse, terminated. That decision will fall to the board though."

"I doubt that," Gwyn shook his head. "He's a Lannister."

"Yeah, but he's in the North." Lyra reminded them. "Lions don't have power here."

For the rest of the day, Meera had not seen even a shadow of Tyrek, which is a good thing and she hoped it will be that way. Sure, she never liked Tyrek and it pissed her off that he was always on her every single day asking if she's free after work, but she didn't want him to be fired because of that. All Meera wanted is for Tyrek to leave her alone even if they were in the same building for most of the day.

When the time came for them to clock out, Meera walked out of the building with Lyra and Gwyn.

Suddenly, Gwyn screamed and jumped up and down. "Oh my gods!" She squealed. "You guys, boyfriend alert! At twelve o'clock!"

Both Meera and Lyra turned straight ahead as saw Bran standing by his car, waiting for her.

Meera's eyes widened as they saw Bran walked towards them.

"Oh," Lyra smiled teasingly. "We'll see you tomorrow then, Meera." She said. "Have fun on your date."

Gwyn and Lyra didn't even say hi to Bran and just went to another direction.

"Hey, Stardust," Bran greeted, then gave a peck on her cheek.

The surprise expression never left her face. "Branflakes, hi." She acknowledged. "What are you doing here?"

"We're having dinner tonight at your place, remember?"

"I know," She said. "But it's too early. I still have to cook our dinner and—"

"Oh, don't worry," He assured. "I'll help prepare. And I have proven myself in the kitchen, right?"

Meera snorted. "Of course," She frowned. "Wait, how did you know I didn't drive to work today?"

"You usually walk to work," Bran recalled. "And you drive to work if it's raining/snowing or you're running late—same as me. And it's Monday—traffic congestion is worst on Mondays. Your brother mentioned that."

"So you've been talking to Jojen?"

"Uh, sort of," He admitted as he opened the car shotgun door. "We're assigned on the same row for grad rites."

Meera was about to ask a question when the window on the car's rear side slid open and her brother Jojen stuck his head out.

"For the old gods' sake, Meera," Jojen complained. "Just get in the car."

She turned to Bran for an explanation.

He shrugged. "I told him he can hitch the ride."

Meera had then got into the car. Bran started the engines and they headed to the _Greenwood Flats_.

"So what are we cooking tonight?" Bran asked.

Before Meera could say anything, Jojen, who was in the backseat reading a _Nat Geo_ magazine, spoke up.

"Anything you want," Jojen answered absent-mindedly, not looking up from his magazine. "Just don't forget that I'm vegan."

Meera turned Jojen's magazine over to show the front cover page. The title said, _Healing Remedies: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness_.

"Is this new?" She asked.

"It just arrived this morning," He explained. "Right after you left for work."

Ever since Jojen started college, he had started a subscription on the _Nat Geo_ magazine, and every month they deliver a copy of it to their flat in White Harbor.

. . .

A few minutes later they arrived at the _Greenwood Flats_. They took the elevator to the sixth floor and into their place.

Meera led Bran into the living room while Jojen went to water his plants as he does twice a day.

"It's not much," She told Bran. "But it's close to home."

"It's nice," He remarked. "It's green, literally and figuratively."

Yes, she gets that a lot. It was also the first thing Lyra and Gwyn pointed out the first time they came. Literally, because the walls were painted light green—it's hers, Jojen's and their parents' favorite color; and figuratively, because the flat has plants in it, courtesy of Jojen.

Their flat was nothing much. It had a living room, a kitchen with a peninsula counter, a dining area with a six-seater table, a bathroom and two bedrooms—each with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

Meera had Bran sit on their couch as she went to place her things in her room and took off her shoes—she liked to go barefoot when indoors.

Afterwards, she led Bran into the kitchen.

"So, what are we cooking?" He asked.

"Hmm, I was thinking of a lasagna casserole." She said as she put on an apron that had the words, _Kiss the Cook_ in cursive, with red lipstick smudges on the letter _K_ of the words, _kiss_ and _cook_.

Bran nodded. "Ooh, nice!" He said as he took another apron that she handed to him. It was a black apron with the words, _Trust me, I'm the chef_ in white print. "I like that."

"You've made lasagna before, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," He said. "I'll take care of the meat sauce."

"Okay, and I'll take care of the cheese sauce and the pasta." She promised. "And don't worry, I had already chopped some of the ingredients that we'll use."

Meera opened the fridge and one shelf in it was full of lock&lock airtight plastic containers which she had attached hand-written labels.

"Whoa!" Bran gasped, then took one container with the onions. It had a label that said, _minced_ _white onion (for meat sauce)_. "This is next-level organized, I have to say. My sister Sansa would be jealous."

Meera took all the lock&lock airtight plastic containers in the fridge which she had labeled for the meat sauce and placed them on the counter. "Here are the ones I chopped, and the grounded pork." She then opened the cupboard and took out more. "Here's the tomato sauce and paste." She pointed at the spice rack. "You can use whatever spice you wish and it's over there. And if you want to use fresh herbs—"

The potted herb plants weren't where they were supposed to be because the counter where Jojen usually placed them was empty.

"Jojen," Meera called. "Where are the herbs?" She asked.

"It's here," Jojen answered, peeking out his head from the balcony. "I was watering the plants. Which herb do you need?" He asked.

Meera turned to Bran and waited.

"Oh, just basil and parsley." He answered.

Later on, Jojen carried in the small three-tier wooden pot plant stand that held the herbal plants. "Here you go." He said as he placed it back on the counter.

Bran gave a sideways smile when he saw that the plants were labeled. "You label your plants too? That's cool. Are those words below the names their actual scientific names?"

Jojen nodded. "Yep, it helps me remember their scientific names."

"That way," Meera added. "He says: watering the plants counts as studying as well."

"Hitting two birds with one stone," Bran said. "Nice." He then took a few leaves of the basil and parsley and started cooking.

Jojen went back to watering the plants and Meera herself went on to boil the lasagna pasta and made the cheese sauce.

As Bran made the meat sauce, she could smell the aroma.

"Oh my gods, Branflakes," She said. "That smells so good."

Bran handed her the wooden ladle he was using. "You wanna taste it to make sure it's Stardust-approved?" He asked.

"I already know it will taste good," Meera smiled as she took the ladle from him. "Because it smells good."

"Everyone has different taste buds," He pointed out. "So, we'll see."

Meera tasted the meat sauce and her eyes widened as he turned to him. "I'm speechless." She exclaimed. "It's so good! And it has a nice little heat to it."

"I wanted it to be just a little spicy," He said. "But I can remedy it—"

"No!" She interrupted. "It's perfect."

By then, Jojen had placed all of his plants back indoors and closed the sliding door to the balcony.

"Hmm," Her brother said. "That smells good."

Bran frowned at him. "I thought you're vegan."

"I am," Jojen replied.

"But I thought vegans hate the smell of cooking meat."

"That's the vegan stereotype everyone assumes," Jojen said. "Most vegans _do_ hate the smell of cooking meat, but not me."

"Yeah," Meera agreed. "I would cook meat in front of him but it won't really matter because he doesn't eat meat."

"Exactly," Her brother said. "So, anything I can do to help?" He asked.

"No, we're good." She assured. "Just go do your thing."

"You know I can't eat that, right?"

"I am aware," She reassured. "And don't worry, you're having ratatouille and we're cooking it right after we place this in the oven."

"Okay, cool." Jojen shrugged. "I'll be on the couch when you need me." He said before leaving.

Bran and Meera then placed everything in pans before putting the lasagna in the oven. Afterwards, they started on the ratatouille.

"Have you made this before?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nope, this time you will have to teach me." Then he frowned. "But wait, isn't ratatouille like a stew?"

"Yeah, but, Jojen likes the confit byaldi ratatouille," She explained. "The one like in that movie where a rat is cooking it."

"Oh, cool!" Bran beamed. "Let's get started. So, what should I do?"

"Blanch the tomatoes," She instructed. "So we can take the peel off easy. And I'll take care of the zucchinis—green and yellow, and eggplants on the mandoline."

Bran took about eight tomatoes from the fridge's crisper drawer as Meera started slicing zucchini on the mandoline.

"Slice X marks on its ends for easy peeling," She informed, drawing an X-mark on one of the tomatoes with her finger. "Soak it in boiling water for forty-five seconds, take it out and then place it in ice-cold water to stop it from cooking."

He nodded. "Roger that." He said as he soaked the tomatoes in boiling water, took a bowl from the dish drying rack and filled it with chilled water and ice from the fridge door's dispenser.

Bran went back to the tomatoes as she went back to slicing zucchini on the mandoline. But as she did, she forgot to put the guard on.

Suddenly, she heard a _SHWAAK_ sound and felt pain on her left index finger.

"Ow!" She cussed as she examined her finger and it was bleeding.

"What is it?" Bran asked as he managed to drop the tomatoes in the ice-cold water before rushing to her side. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

That's when he saw the blood burst from her finger.

"Let me see," He said, pulling her finger. "Oh my gods!" He said in a small voice, then pulled her over to the sink. "Wash it with water quick. I'm getting ice to stop the bleeding."

"Jojen!" Meera called. "Jojen, can you get the first-aid kit, please?"

Jojen emerged from the living room. "What?" He asked as if he'd misheard her. "What in seven hells do you need—oh my gods!" That's when he saw it. "Okay, I'm on it."

Bran dabbed the wound cut with ice in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Jojen came back with the first-aid kit and also placed cotton balls to absorb all the blood, but to no avail—it's still bleeding.

Bran turned to Jojen. "Dude, you have a lot of plants, right?" He said. "Do you have Yarrow or some other herb that can stop bleeding?"

"Yeah, I have _Yarrow_ and _Shepherd's Purse_." Jojen slowly smiled, then ran to his plants. "Hold on, I'm making a tincture out of it."

"What is that?" Meera asked.

"It will stop the bleeding." Bran promised as Jojen pulled out several of its flowers and leaves.

"It's like my entire left hand is going numb." Meera pointed out. "And I'm getting dizzy, I'm not gonna lie." She admitted.

"Okay," Bran guided her towards the dining table and pulled out one of the chairs. "Just take a seat. I'm gonna get you some water."

Bran got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water as Jojen was crushing some herbs on the mortar.

Here you go." Bran placed a glass of water on the table as he sat down next to her. He kept putting cotton balls and dabbing ice on the wound occasionally.

Bran examined the cut. "Ooh," He said, making a face at it. "It doesn't need stitches, thank the gods. But it lost a chunk."

Meera drank the glass of water. Then she had finally dared to look at the wound and saw a puddle of blood still coming out everywhere, continuously soaking several of the cotton balls.

"It's gonna be really tender there," Bran said, gently pressing the cut. "Because, I mean, you've cut into a nerve. That's why there's a lot of blood." He turned to Jojen. "Dude, is that done? It's still bleeding like mad."

"It's coming together," Jojen promised as he pounded away, and then added what looked like apple cider vinegar before mixing it with a spoon. "Okay, it's done."

Jojen brought the mortar and placed it on the table. It looked like some sort of green paste, which she assumed was the crushed herbs that were supposedly going to help stop the bleeding on her finger.

"What in seven hells is that?" She asked. "It looks like pesto sauce."

"It's Shepherd's purse and Yarrow," Jojen explained. "_Capsella bursa-pastoris_ and _Achillea millefolium_. It's—"

"Okay, I don't need to know their scientific names," She grumbled. "Now is not the time for you to teach me about plant taxonomy." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just—I can't—I'm seeing too much blood from the cut. I'm freaking out here."

"Just calm down, okay?" Bran said in a soothing voice. "You're gonna be fine." He said as he held her free hand.

Her brother scooped a few spoonfuls, placed it on a piece of cloth before tying the ends. "Alright, hold on to something." He instructed, adjusting his glasses with his knuckle. "This is gonna sting." He had then started squeezing the cloth above her finger, extracting some sort of greenish-brown liquid from it, dropping small amounts of it onto her finger.

"What do you mean—OW!" Meera screamed. It definitely stung. "OH MY GODS!" She may have squeezed Bran's hand way too hard. "What in seven hells is in there?"

After letting it sit for a few minutes, the bleeding stopped.

"Ooh, nice job, Dude!" Bran said as he gave Jojen a high-five. "How did you learn to make that...?"

"Tincture?" Jojen finished as he cleaned his glasses with his t-shirt. "I'm a botany major. We were taught to do that."

"Thank you, you guys," Meera said gratefully. "Seriously. I could feel myself blacking out from all that blood."

Jojen put back on his glasses and frowned at her. "I thought girls see blood more often than guys do."

"That is different!" She insisted. "This is a freakin' open wound, not period blood." She sighed, then turned to Bran. "Anyways, how did you know this type of plant can stop bleeding?"

"Plants," Jojen corrected. "I put two types in there. One is to stop the bleeding and the other is to stop the cut from getting infected."

"Well," Bran said as he tended to her wound, wrapping it in a bandage. "My Mom's a doctor and I used to get wounded a lot when I was a kid. And I've read about some battle general ages ago who uses yarrow to heal the wounds of the soldiers under his command."

"Yeah," Her brother agreed. "I've read about that too. I forgot his name though. Anyways, do you need anything? A cup of tea, maybe?"

"Yes, please," Meera said, standing up. "Now, I have to get back to cooking."

"No!" Both Bran and Jojen said simultaneously.

"You just lost a lot of blood." Jojen pointed out. "You need to rest. Just sit back and relax, sis."

"I agree," Bran added. "And don't worry about finishing up in cooking, I'll handle it. Just tell me what I need to do."

Meera sighed. "Fine." She took off her apron then leaned back on the dining chair.

Jojen made her tea while Bran finished what they had started through her instructions, slicing all the vegetables on the mandoline, cooking and pureeing the sauce and arranging everything on the cast-iron skillet before putting it in the oven altogether.

Afterwards, Bran started washing the pots and plates they used in cooking by hand since they didn't have a dishwashing machine.

"Hey, you don't have to do that." She said. "You're our guest, you shouldn't be washing the dishes."

"It's fine," Bran assured. "Besides, your wound shouldn't be wet and the dishes are piling. And you don't want that because it's dirty."

Meera chose not to argue. She just drank her tea in silence and watched as Bran did the dishes. At the same time, she thought to herself, what she did to deserve a guy like Bran.

When Bran was done, he took off his apron and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry, Branflakes," She spoke up.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked. "And for what?"

"First of all, for worrying you with this," Meera gestured to her bandaged finger. "Second, is that you had to do all the cooking on the other dish; and third, washed the dishes while I had to sit here drinking tea."

Bran snorted. "That's it?"

Meera hit his arm. "I'm serious." She insisted. "You're a guest."

"Meera, relax, okay?" He reassured. "It's fine. Besides, I got to cook with you today."

She gave him a peck on his cheek. "Thank you."

"That's it?" Meera chuckled. "Somehow, I know you were gonna say that." Then she crooked a finger and motioned him to come closer.

"Now, we're talking." Bran dived in and kissed her on her lips.

Suddenly, their doorbell audio intercom buzzed, which made them break apart.

The _Greenwood Flats_ has a doorbell intercom system in their lobby in which you can ring a specific unit and wait for an answer before you're allowed to come in—at least, for someone they didn't know. Others, specifically, Lyra and Gwyn, they'd just walk directly to the elevator and knock on their door. And for mail and package deliveries, they will be notified by the _Greenwood's_ postmaster.

"I'll get it," Jojen spoke up as he ran to the audio intercom by their main door. He pressed a button and leaned closer. "Hello," He called.

_"Jojen,"_ A man's voice replied.

When she heard the voice, she mentally screamed. _Uh, oh,_ she thought.

"Dad?" Jojen called out in disbelief.

It was their Dad's voice. It made her stood from her seat and sprint towards the living room.

_"Can you help me and your Mom with the groceries?"_ Their Dad asked.

"Um, sure," Her brother answered. "I'll be right down." He removed his hand from the intercom and turned to her. "Mom and Dad are here."

"Yeah, I just heard." She said.

"Do they know Bran is here?" Jojen asked as he put on his shoes.

"No, I didn't even know they were coming." She admitted.

"I'll give them a heads up then," Jojen said as he got out of their flat.

Meera buried her face in her palms. "Oh my gods!" She exclaimed, panicking.

Bran cleared his throat. "Um, so your parents are here?" He guessed.

"I didn't know they were coming, I swear," Meera promised, then sighed. "I just…I just didn't expect this, okay? I want you to meet my parents, but," She shrugged. "Just not like this. I would've been more prepared. Maybe cooked a three-course meal or something and—"

"Meera," Bran called, placing his hands on her shoulder. "Try to calm down, okay? I know this is something out of the blue, and there's obviously no other way around it. So I'm going to embrace this opportunity to meet your parents."

Meera was so busy panicking about it that she had forgotten about Bran. And he's probably more nervous than she was.

"You're taking this surprisingly well." She noticed.

"Nope, I'm internally panicking." He admitted. "I just have a calm exterior."

Meera chuckled. "It's going to be fine, Bran." She assured, straightening his shirt. "They'll love you."

It seemed to calm him down.

"Um, how about I take out the pans from the oven?" He suggested.

"Right," She agreed. "And I'll set the table."

Just after Meera had set the table, he could hear Jojen talking to their parents.

She could hear their Mom's voice. "Have you both eaten dinner?" Their Mom, Jyana asked.

"Not yet," Jojen replied. "But they were cooking earlier. It just had to be taken out of the oven."

"They?" Their Dad repeated.

"Oh, Meera's boyfriend is here." Her brother blurted out.

"_What?_" Their parents asked in unison like they'd misheard him.

"Since when did your sister had a boyfriend?" Their Dad asked.

"Only she can answer that, Dad," Jojen said as he walked passed her towards the kitchen, carrying bags of groceries.

Meera took a deep breath before stepping out to greet her parents. "Mom, Dad, hi!" She smiled, then gave them each a hug.

Their parents were like older versions of Meera herself and her brother, Jojen. Their Mom, Jyana had curly brown hair, though she wore it longer than hers and tied it in a ponytail; she also had light brown eyes and since she's near-sighted, she always wore glasses. Their Dad, Howland, had dirty dark blond hair, with a few grey streaks; he also had green eyes—which both she and Jojen had inherited.

"Hello, dear," Her Mom kissed her on her cheek.

"So, where's your _boyfriend_?" Her Dad demanded.

He said the word _boyfriend_ like it was weed in a field of daisies. And for someone who's on a plantation business, it's regarded as an irritant.

Their Mom, Jyana hit their Dad on his arm.

Howland turned to his wife. "What?"

Just then Bran walked into the living room, looking more nervous than Meera has ever seen him. And she could see her father's eyes narrow like he was examining a plant specimen in the fields.

"Bran," Meera started to say. "These are our parents, My Dad, Howland and my Mom, Jyana." Meera introduced, gesturing to them.

"Hello," Jyana greeted.

Bran smiled and nodded his head at them. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Reed." He greeted. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Brandon Stark, but you can call me _Bran_." He introduced himself.

Meera never understood the expression on their parents' faces. At first, they exchanged wary looks.

Then her father frowned at Bran. "You're Ned's boy?" He asked.

Bran nodded in confirmation. "Um, yes, sir."

"Oh," Howland smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Bran."

Jojen raised an eyebrow at their father. "Dad, you know Ned Stark?" He asked.

"Every Northerner knows him, son," Howland said. "He's the governor."

Meera cleared her throat. "Uh, anyways, dinner is ready." She announced. "So, we should…" She gestured towards the dining table.

"Oh, your father and I also bought food," Jyana said, gesturing to the brown paper bags and the _Rosebud_ pink box of cupcakes their Dad held. She then turned to Jojen. "Could you transfer them on plates, honey?"

"Sure, Mom," Jojen said as he took the paper bags and went for the kitchen.

"What did you get us?" Meera asked.

"Well, we mostly had to find food that your brother would eat," Howland explained as they all headed towards the dining table. "And we all know it's hard to find vegan options when ordering out."

"Wait," Jyana said urgently, in a stop-everything gesture. "Meera, sweetie, what happened to your hand? Why is your finger wrapped in a bandage?" She demanded.

"She cut her hand on the mandoline!" Jojen screamed from the kitchen.

"Ay, ay, ay, Meerakins," Her Dad said as he had his worried face on. "You need to be careful."

Only her Dad ever called her _Meerakins_, and it was his nickname to her since she was a baby and yes, it grew on her.

They sat down at the dining table. Their Dad, Howland sat at the head of the table, as usual. To his right, was their Mom, Jyana and then Jojen. To his left, was Meera herself and then Bran.

On their table, besides the lasagna and ratatouille, Meera recognized the onion rings and quesadillas from the _Cornucopia Food Park_.

"Ooh, lasagna." Howland squealed. "Looks delicious. And what is that?" He asked, pointing at the cast-iron skillet.

"That's ratatouille, Dad," She answered. "It's for Jojen."

"By the way," Jyana said. "That Food Park a block from here, that's new, right? It wasn't there the last time we came to White Harbor."

"It is, Mom," Meera replied. "It just opened two weeks ago."

They chatted as they ate.

"Hmm," Their Dad mumbled just as he first ate a forkful of lasagna. "This tastes as good as it looks." He turned to Meera. "You cooked this?"

"Not really," She admitted. "Bran did the meat sauce and I did the rest. And he also cooked the ratatouille because I cut my finger."

"It's good," Howland complimented. "It has a nice little heat to it, a little spicy. It's almost like it's a Riverlander's recipe."

"It's sort of is, sir," Bran admitted. "My Mom is from the Riverlands. She kind of adapted that into the dishes that she cooks."

"Dude," Jojen spoke up. "Also, the ratatouille—lit!" He gave him the okay-hand gesture. "I could eat this all day."

"Thanks," Bran said. "Though, I was merely following your sister's instructions as I have never cooked that before."

"Hmm, it's always plus points if a guy can cook." Jyana pointed out.

"But Dad can't cook," Jojen brought up.

Howland cleared his throat. "Oh, so you're just gonna forget who baked the blood orange and lime meringue pie when you last went home for spring break?"

Jojen's mouth opened, but no words came out. He only sighed. "Okay, I take that back."

They all laughed at the thought of it.

"Anyways, Bran," Their Mom turned to Bran, smiling. "I can fully sense that you're a mama's boy, and you often cook with your Mom." She guessed.

Bran nodded. "Yes, I am, ma'am," He confirmed. "But not as often. My Mom's a doctor, so she's mostly busy with work."

Jojen frowned at him. "Don't you have like, chefs in Stark Manor?" He asked, earning a glare from their Mom.

"Uh, yeah, we do." He answered. "But when my Mom's free, she likes to cook for the entire family…and staff. I'm usually with her in the kitchen when she cooks, along with one of my two sisters. But I mostly just taste everything. I guess that's how I inherited the Rivermen tastebuds."

Meera smiled at Bran. And she was glad that he seemed to be at ease and relaxed than he was earlier.

"So, Bran," Her Dad said as he finished his several slices of lasagna. "What do you do?"

Meera answered for him. "Uh, Dad, Bran is still attending the university." She explained. "He's on the graduating class with Jojen."

Their parents, again, gave each other wary looks. Now, they know that Bran was younger than she was. But she couldn't read their expressions.

"What field of study were you taking then?" Howland asked.

"Structural Engineering, sir." Bran replied.

"So, you'll be in the construction industry?" Their Dad said. "Much like your ancestor, _Brandon the Builder_?"

"Yes, sir," He agreed. "A lot of people were pointing it out. But once I pass the boards, my sister and I will be forming a construction firm. It'll be like a partnership."

Jyana frowned. "Your sister is on the engineering field as well?"

"Architecture, ma'am," He corrected.

"Oh, I think you'll make a perfect team." Jyana pointed out. "Brother and sister, architect and engineer—business partners. It's a win-win situation."

"That's what our Dad said," Bran recalled. "And he agreed to loan us a business capital. But, of course, I have to graduate first and then pass the boards."

Afterwards, her parents now seemed to be at ease with Bran's presence. They asked him when and how they met, to which Bran and Meera explained and narrated everything that happened, but of course, leaving out the explicit details.

And then her Dad asked _the_ question.

"You know, Bran," Howland said. "My daughter has never brought home a guy before. Now, I'm asking you, what are your intentions with her?"

Bran suddenly looked nervous and cleared his throat. "Mr. Reed, I know Meera and I haven't been together that long, but the time I've spent with her has always been incredible." He said, gently squeezing her hand on the table. "She means a lot to me and I have nothing but the best intentions with her."

Her father then gave Bran his smile of approval, which made Meera nearly want to scream in delight. _Thank the gods_, she thought.

When the time came for Bran to head home, she accompanied him to his car.

"That went okay, right?" He asked, skeptically.

Meera chuckled. "Oh, it went more than okay, Branflakes," She said. "I honestly didn't expect my parents to come, but it was a success. They like you."

Bran smiled wide. "Well, in that case, I'll have to introduce you to mine." He said. "They're eager to meet you, by the way."

She knitted her eyebrows at him. "Really?"

"My sisters are to blame; they couldn't keep their mouth shut." He explained. "Also, Wex reports to Theon everything he saw—Theon tells Robb and Jon and boom! It spreads like wildfire in the entire house."

"Must be fun to have a lot of siblings," She brought up.

"Oh, it is," He agreed. "And also, very stressful." He sighed. "I have to go."

"Okay," She said, then kissed him on his lips.

"I'll call you when I'm home, Stardust." Bran winked at her before getting into his car and drove back to the _Aquamarine_.

As she went back into the flat, her Dad was waiting for her. And he beckoned her to sit down on the couch beside him.

"I wasn't able to say anything earlier because he was here," Howland said. "But…" He faltered, then sighed. "I don't even know where to start."

"Howland," Jyana called from the kitchen. "If their ages are your concern, then what do you call us? You're younger than me." She reminded him.

"It's not that, Jya," Howland argued. "And for that very same reason, I don't care about age gaps. My main concern is—I mean, he's a Stark."

Meera frowned at him. "So?"

"They're the most prominent family in the entire North," He reminded her. "People like him are used to high standards, especially since he's the governor's son."

"Not Bran, Dad," She argued. "He's not some spoiled rich boy like what you're implying just because his last name is _Stark_."

"I know, sweetie," He said. "I saw that earlier, how he interacted with us. He's humble and down to earth. He cares about you and he seems to make you happy. To me, that's what matters. I just don't want you to be caught in the middle when their family's having conflicts in politics or their businesses."

"As if Bran would ever let that happen," Meera chuckled. "And you don't have to worry about me, Daddy. I'm twenty-five, I can handle myself." She assured.

"Well, whether you're twenty-five or sixty-five," Howland said, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You're always going to be my baby girl." He then kissed her forehead.

That night, her parents stayed over as they usually do when they visit unannounced. They will be sleeping on the couch, which was a convertible—she had specifically bought one because the flat only has two rooms.

Meera also didn't sleep immediately that night. She lay in bed, replaying everything that happened that day and she was happy with how it went. And the highlight: Bran was able to meet and get the approval of her parents.

Suddenly, she had the urge to go to the bathroom. And as she opened her bedroom door, Meera heard something she didn't expect to hear: her parents talking in hushed tones.

_"—don't think Ned Stark knows about them." _Her Dad's voice said. _"Because if he did, he'd probably demand his son to cut ties."_

_ "And what makes you even think that?"_ Her Mom asked.

_"What do you think he's been doing to us for the past twenty-five years?"_ Howland reminded Jyana. _"Ever since it happened—"_

_"How many times to I have to say it, Howland,"_ Jyana interrupted. _"You didn't do anything wrong, you were only trying to help her."_

_"Well, that help led to her death." _Howland insisted.

_"You're not the one who caused a zero-visibility snowstorm that day,"_ Jyana said. _"And you tried to stop her from going. But you know Lya, she's stubborn."_

_"Look, it doesn't matter anymore,"_ Howland sighed. _"Whatever the case, I just don't want our children to be involved. Especially, Meera."_

Hearing all of that, Meera didn't understand what they meant but it made her curious. What had happened twenty-five years ago? And who is this _Lya_ they were referring to? Now, she was starting to be more curious about why her parents had that momentary look of surprise when they heard Bran's last name.

Meera had no idea what had happened years ago. But she promised herself that she'll get to the bottom of it.


	8. Old Grudges

**MEERA**

Tuesday after she got off from work, Meera was very surprised to see Bran outside _The Northern Herald_ building with his car again.

After the things that happened the night before with her parents suddenly showing up unannounced, Meera was glad Bran was able to meet her folks. They were still somewhat skeptical of him, but they seemed to like how courteous and respectful he was.

The one thing that bothered Meera about last night was the conversation she accidentally heard from her parents. Something about a car accident in a snowstorm twenty-five years ago and someone named _Lya_.

"Hey," Bran smiled as he greeted, then gave her a peck on her cheek.

"Branflakes, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Picking you up," Bran shrugged. "Unless you've got something else to do, then—"

"No, no, I'm not," She interrupted. "I'm good for the rest of the day. But I'll be working overtime tomorrow though. We lost a colleague today and all the things he left behind were distributed amongst us."

"Someone quit?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, someone died in the workplace earlier."

Bran's eyes widened. "What?"

Remembering what had happened earlier was still creepy. The Sports Editor, Owen Norrey, had died in the workplace.

He seemed to be taking a nap on his table. When his assistant called him that it was lunch break, he didn't respond. The assistant then came inside his office to tap his shoulder to wake him up, but still no response. When he finally pulled the chair away from the table in another attempt to wake him up, Owen fell to the floor. Medics were called in check on him, but he was gone. They said he died of an aneurysm.

After lunch, both the management and the HR department called for an emergency seminar in the function halls called _Grief in the Workplace_. It discussed the office protocols on what the company and its employees should do when an employee dies on the job—just the thing they need after eating their lunch. When they were asked to return to work, all the cubicle partitions and dividers and even their desk tables were rearranged. Though, they had mentioned it in the seminar as one of the protocols.

"Scary, I know," Meera said. "And Lyra is convinced that his ghost will now haunt the office." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, why are you picking me up?"

Bran sighed and scratched his head. "I need your help," He said. "I would've said something last night but your parents were there, so I just dropped it."

"I'm listening," She waited.

"Well, they said I have the highest distinction," He started. "They want me to do some sort of inspirational speech and they want to check it by Thursday just to make sure I'm not sabotaging the school system or anything. And you're a journalist, so if I'm a grammar nazi, you're probably—"

"A spelling, capitalization and a punctuation nazi?" She finished. "Yes, I am. And don't worry, I'll help you. When should we start?" She asked.

"Great!" Bran beamed. "We'll start right after we're eating dinner."

"But, Bran," She said. "Let's not eat at a fancy restaurant this time."

"Fine, the _Cornucopia_ then?"

"Sure," Meera smiled. "Let's go then."

Bran started to reach out his hand on the car's shotgun door, but she made a face at him. She hated being treated like she can't handle stuff.

He raised his hand in surrender. "Okay, I'm not touching the door because you can do it yourself."

"Thank you." Meera said as she opened the car's shotgun door before going inside.

They got the grilled pork baby back ribs, pork shish kebabs, fruit kebabs, and had strawberry milkshakes.

Afterwards, they drove to the _Aquamarine_, where Wex gave them a grin and an eyebrow raised when Bran held her hand as they walked towards the elevators.

As they entered the penthouse, they were greeted by Summer, jumping and wagging his tail playfully.

"Hey, bud!" Bran said as he knelt only to be knocked down to the floor from Summer constantly jumping at him.

Meera giggled. "Hi Summer," She greeted, gently patting his head, then turned to Bran. "I thought you said your Mom didn't allow you to take him here again."

"Nope," He answered. "But last night, after I got home from dinner at your place, I came home to my sister Arya with Nymeria and Summer." He recalled. "She had to take Summer here because she barely had any sleep from him howling all night. And when he howled, Nymeria also howled with him."

"Aww," Meera stroke Summer's hide. "He just missed you, that's all."

"Arya also said she slept on the divan couch in the hallway," He pointed out. "Because they wouldn't stop howling."

Summer then started whimpering.

"Oh, I know that look," Bran said. "You're hungry and you want food."

Summer started running in circles and barked while wagging his tail. _Food! Yes, I want food! _He seemed to say. _Give me food!_

"Coming right up," He pulled out his phone, and did a few swipes.

They then heard dog food being poured onto the feeder, making Summer ran towards the kitchen.

Beren was in the living room, sitting on the couch, watching Webiflex on the flatscreen with boxes of pizza on the coffee table.

"Hi, Beren," Meera greeted.

"Oh, hey, Meera," Beren looked surprised, then nodded at Bran. "Bran, you guys want pizza?" He asked.

"No, we're good," Bran declined.

"We just ate, actually." She added.

"You're sober and not partying," Bran noticed. "It's a miracle."

"Well, I took your advice," Beren said. "Just wait until we get our diplomas. So, today is Day 2 of abstinence."

Bran snorted. "Keep it up."

Beren turned to Meera. "Oh, by the way, Meera," He said. "You work in _The Northern Herald_, right? Is it true that an employee died on the job?" He asked.

"How in seven hells did you know about that?" Bran wondered.

"Well, Talia mentioned it earlier," Beren recalled. "She said her brother's girlfriend told her."

"Yes, it's true," Meera confirmed. "He looked like he was just taking a nap. And when someone woke him up, he just fell to the floor. When the medics came, they pronounced him dead."

Bran had then led her towards the stairs. "Let's go just upstairs."

"Ooh," Beren said. "If you guys are gonna do what I think you're gonna do, don't worry," He assured. "I'll pretend to not hear anything."

Bran threw one of the throw pillows on the couches to Beren. "She's just gonna help me with the speech everyone is forcing me to do."

"Alright, jeez," Beren held his hand in surrender, "I'm kidding."

Bran led Meera up to his room. He made sure to turn on the lights, of course. Because the last time they were both alone in his room, they were stripping each others' clothes and did stuff on the bed.

But this time, he merely needed her help in composing his stupid speech for the grad rites. So if it's possible, he'll have to refrain kissing her.

He let her sit on his swivel chair by his desk and he went to remove his shoes. Then he took the nearest ottoman, placed it next to her by the desk and sat on it.

"Okay, so" Meera started as she took a pen from her bag. "Speeches always start with greetings." She said. "But of course, you'll have to acknowledge the important people. School officials, government officials—"

"Wait, do I have to acknowledge my Dad as Governor Stark?" He interjected.

"That's up to you," She replied. "But to you, he falls under the parents category."

It took them an hour and a half to compose his grad inspirational speech. Bran read it out loud for Meera to hear and after he was done, she clapped her hands.

"Well done," Meera said. "But remember that your attention should be on the audience, like you're interacting with them and not on the paper on the podium. Familiarize that whole thing, it's okay to take glimpses but yeah. You're good."

"This is different, okay?" He insisted. "It's just you listening. Not hundreds of people."

"Oh, you'll be fine." She assured, then sighed. "If you ever get nervous or feel like you wanna throw up, just find me in the audience. I'll help you get through it."

Bran smiled, then gave her a peck on her cheek. "Thank you," He said gratefully.

"Oh, it's nothing," She shrugged. "It's all in a day's work."

He caressed her cheek with his hand before kissing her on her lips.

Then she broke apart from him, stood from her seat and sat on Bran's lap before kissing him again.

Bran seemed startled at first, but went with it as he kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The only thing keeping her from straddling him was her pencil skirt. Meera then wrapped her arms around his neck as she explored him with her tongue.

He moaned into the kiss, then moved down to her neck, biting and sucking a spot on it.

"Bran," She called breathlessly.

"Hmm," He asked, still sucking spots on her neck.

"I can't really move in these clothes." She pointed out.

"Then we'll take it off, and move to the bed."

Meera's eyes widened at his words. She did not expect that at all. "I thought you'd never ask."

They went back to exploring tongues as one of Bran's arms went to her back and the other went under the back of her legs. She understood what it meant, he was gonna carry her.

All of a sudden, he stood and walked towards the bed with her clutching and hanging on to him. He gently settled her by the foot of the bed, then started taking off the buttoned sweater she wore over her light blue long-sleeved blouse.

Meera tugged the end of Bran's long-sleeved shirt and he began removing it without question. As Bran went shirtless, she rubbed her hands down his chest, over his stomach, down to his trousers. She then undid his belt and tugged open his trousers' zipper.

As his trousers fell to the floor, he was left in his boxers. And Meera took advantage of the situation as she cupped the bulge of his throbbing cock against his boxers.

Bran clutched her shirt and pulled it from his skirt in which it was tucked in. He had then started unbuttoning it down to the last button.

They kissed again, before breaking free and locking eyes. Aligning his face with hers, he gently brushed his nose against hers and gave a hint of a smile.

Meera giggled before pushing Bran to the bed, surprising him.

As Bran was seated on the bed, she gave her a puzzled look.

"Let's try something new, shall we?" She said as she took off her unbuttoned blouse and then her skirt.

Bran gulped. "Ooh, that's interesting. I'm liking what I see."

She smirked as she started stripping off her underwear. "Hmm, now take your bloody boxers off. I'm not gonna do that for you."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Once Bran took off his boxers, his cock popped up fully erected. Then he leaned back, had his arms spread out behind him, supporting his weight.

He smiled at her wickedly before crooking a finger, motioning for her to come closer.

Meera crawled on top of him making Bran bite his lip for half a heartbeat before pulling her closer to him. And not long, their lips touched again.

They were once again both naked on his bed.

She then began stroking his member with her hand, making him muffle a scream. "Godsdammit, that feels so good."

Meera then lowered herself, gripping his cock firmly.

"Uh, what are you doing?" He asked.

"You'll see." She then engulfed his cockhead in her mouth and tasted it with her tongue.

"Meera—oh my gods!" He groaned as he drew his head back.

She pulled his cock out of her mouth. "Hey," She whispered. "Do you want Beren to hear us?"

"This room is soundproof," Bran assured. "And I locked the door, so it's fine."

"In that case, brace yourself." Meera winked then went back to his member.

She moved her head back and forth across his member, pushing more and more of his cock into her mouth. Picking up the speed, she could hear Bran's moans getting louder.

"Oh my gods—hmmpf!" Bran moaned as he gripped the sheets.

Meera kept bobbing her head back and forth as fast as she could.

"Hmm—fuck!" He screamed as he slowly stroked her head, pushing part of her hair behind her ear.

She had never given anyone a head before and she wasn't sure if she was any good at it or not. But glancing up at Bran, with his eyes closed, his head drawn back and his soft moans, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Meera," Bran said in a small voice. "Agh! I'm close."

Just as Meera pulled his cock from her mouth, he spurted. And a length of white warm cum sprayed across her face.

Bran looked embarrassed. "Sorry." He apologized, then reached out to one of his nightstand's drawers for a pack of wet wipes.

Meera took one and wiped herself clean off his cum.

Afterwards, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her.

She had then wrapped her arms around his neck and she climbed onto his lap, straddling him.

Bran leaned back and stared at her, smiling. "Damn, you're so beautiful." He blurted out.

Meera raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? You're choosing now to tell me that?" She said.

He turned red in embarrassment. "Um, no!" He protested. "I mean, I meant it, but not because we're—" He started to say.

Meera placed a finger before his lips, interrupting him. "Shh." She said. "Stop talking."

Bran traced his hands from her hips up to her waists, then higher to her bare breasts, gently caressing them. Her breasts aren't really that big, and she considered them to be smaller than average, but she loved the way Bran played with them.

He began kissing her neck, and went lower to her shoulder, to her collar bone and finally to her breasts, sucking one of her nipples into his mouth as he pinched the other earnestly, making her groan loud.

She panted as she raked her hands through his auburn hair. Then she pushed him backwards, and he lay with his back flat on the bed with her climbing over him, locking her knees tight to his sides.

"Wow." He said, gawking at her. Then chuckled and let her do her thing.

She rubbed her hands down his chest, over the ridges of his tight stomach, down to his member and gave him a wicked grin. "Just relax." She assured.

Meera perched one hand on his shoulder and used the other hand to position his hardened cock at her entrance, but Bran sat up and stopped her.

"Wait, wait," Bran interrupted. "We can't—I mean, not without protection." He went back to reaching his nightstand and took a box of condoms.

"Since when did you have a stash of that?" She asked.

"I bought some yesterday, before I went home." He explained as he rolled. "I figured I couldn't just keep taking some from Beren."

"Oh my gods," Meera's eyes widened. "You what?"

"I know it sounds stupid but—"

"Shh, it's fine." Meera assured. "I get it. And honestly, I think I should start taking birth control pills. You wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to feel you without a piece of rubber between us." She said as she pushed him back, laying him flat on the bed, then whispered on his ear. "I want to feel you bare."

Meera then slowly impaled herself on his cock.

"Meera…" He moaned as he gripped her hips hard.

By the time she was able to catch her breath, Meera began rolling her hips and rode him. She pulled herself up and dropped back down, making Bran shut his eyes and roll his head back onto the bed.

Meera panted and had her mouth dropped open and submitted to the unbearable pleasure.

Suddenly, Bran sat up and caught her mouth in a kiss and soon enough, their tongues were exploring each other's. He moved his hands down to her arse, grabbing and squeezing it firmly and guiding her movements, making his length enter deeper and deeper than the last.

She broke free from their kiss. "Oh my gods!" She grunted.

Bran smirked. "I reckon you like that."

She opened her mouth. No words came out but a moan. It felt so incredibly good and satisfying that she couldn't utter a word except moan.

His lips slowly inched down to the curve of her breasts and licked her nipple as it got even harder than before. Later on, he began biting her nipples, which made her groan even louder before she could stop herself. He bit them softly at first, and then just hard enough to make her feel pain that she thoroughly enjoyed.

Meera again wrapped her arms around his neck as she continued riding him.

All of a sudden, one of Bran's knees sprung up, startling her. He rolled them over, using his weight and pinned her beneath him. Now he was on top of her.

"Even until now, you still manage to surprise me." She remarked.

Bran shrugged. "You'll get used to it." He said as he spread her legs wider.

"Wait, don't—ugh!" She gasped as he thrust into her hard.

He gripped her hips and pounded harder and faster into her than he ever did before, making her gasp and moan involuntarily at every thrust.

Meera shut her eyes and arched into the surge. "Bran, oh my gods!" She said, out of breath. "Seven fucking hells, don't stop!" She pleaded. "Please—don't stop—agh!"

Bran started sucking and biting on her neck again, before going down to her breasts, making her scream uncontrollably. He was aggressive and dominating and she liked it.

Even if she bit her lip to keep herself from screaming as she dug her nails on his back. She couldn't help but moan out in pain and pleasure at how good it felt. And Bran thrusting harder and faster wasn't helping at all.

"Meera," Bran whispered next to her ear, still drilling into her. "You feel so fucking incredible." He said.

Hearing him say that, turned her on and made her smile. Bran had then removed his hand from clamping her mouth and kissed her.

They once again, explored each others' tongues as Bran grabbed both her wrist and pinned them on the bed. He continued fucking her harder and faster making her moan into the kiss.

The more he pounded into her, the more painful it's becoming and her legs started shaking uncontrollably. But despite it being painful, it still felt _so_ good.

Suddenly, Bran broke free from the kiss, let go of her wrists and grabbed her hips. He thrust faster then went as deep as he spurted into the condom, coming hard. Meera came hard as well, but she can't remember how many times she did. She had lost count.

Bran collapsed on top of her, both of them breathless.

"Oh, gods," Meera spoke up as she stroke his back with her hand. "That definitely took an unexpected turn." She chuckled.

"But you were incredible either way." Bran murmured, then kissed her forehead before pulling himself out of her and lying beside her on the bed.

"Well, I'm with _the_ Brandon Stark," She said as she used his arm as a pillow. "I have to be." She frowned. "By the way, _Brandon_ is a common Northern name. Didn't your parents ever thought of other names to separate you from the other Brandons in the North?"

"That's why they call me Bran for short." He said as he pulled the covers on them. "But I've also thought about that. Then they explained that I'm named in my uncle's memory. My Dad's deceased brother, he died in a bombing in the capital with my grandfather years ago."

"So you and your siblings are all named after deceased family members?" She asked.

"Sort of," He said. "Well, at least me and my sisters are."

"Arya and Sansa?"

"Well, we each have two names." He explained. "And all of us boys have the same second name, Eddard. After our Dad, which our Mom added."

"So you're full name would be, _Brandon Eddard T. Stark_."

"Yes, and my sisters have different second names." He continued. "The name _Sansa_ came from some female ancestor generations ago and her second name, Lyarra was from our grandmother, Dad's Mom, who died giving birth to my Dad's youngest sibling, my Uncle Benjen."

"And Arya?" She asked.

"My Mom mentioned that _Arya_ was the name my Aunt Lyanna wanted to name when she will have a daughter, but she had a son instead. My cousin, Jon." Bran recalled. "It was also a name from some female ancestor. I think it's my Dad's grandmother from the Flint Clan. Her second name, _Lyanna_ was after my Dad's sister. She died years ago, before we were born. It's kinda scary because some of our staff said Arya looks like our Aunt Lyanna. Our old housekeeper even calls her _Lya_, the same way she calls our aunt that."

_Lya_, there was that name again. Maybe it's the same Lya her parents were talking about. But then again, _Lyanna_ was also a common Northern name.

Meera cleared her throat. "How did your Aunt Lyanna died again?"

"Oh, it happened like twenty years ago, I think," Bran remembered. "Oh, wait, my cousin, Jon is twenty-five so it's twenty-five years ago. And I don't really know much because our Dad never talked about it. All I know is she died in a car accident during a snowstorm in Moat Cailin, clutching the then baby Jon."

_Oh my gods!_ Meera mentally screamed. Everything fits. The name _Lya_, the car accident in a snowstorm, twenty-five years ago. _Bingo!_ The question now is, how were her parents involved? Maybe Ned Stark has been giving her parents the cold shoulder after what happened to Lyanna, who knows.

Meera was so deep in thought that she hadn't notice Bran calling her name several times.

"Meera?" Bran called. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She assured. "It's just…it's so tragic."

"I know," He said. "My Dad lost three family members within two years."

She cleaned herself up in the bathroom and put on her clothes before Bran drove her back home.

That night she couldn't sleep because of the conversation she heard from her parents the night before and the things she learned from Bran earlier.

Meera wanted to find the answers but didn't know where. So she got up from her bed, walked to her desk and opened her laptop. She went to the most common source: _The Internet_.

She opened a new tab on her browser. On the google search bar, she typed in the keywords: _Lya snowstorm 283AC_. And of course, it tried to correct her. _Did you mean: Lyanna snowstorm 283AC._

Sure enough, the top article on the page was a news article from _The Northern Herald_.

_1 Dead in a Zero-Visibility Blizzard in Moat Cailin_, the heading of the article said. The one scary thing about the article was because it had a picture of Lyanna Stark, and she looks exactly like her niece, Arya—from her dark brown hair, grey eyes, right down to her smile.

Then the rest of its content follows:

_Over the week, three deaths were reported due to the blizzards. Friday morning, the snowstorm yet again claimed another life as it hit the Neck. The victim named, Lyanna Stark, who was then on her way to White Harbor with her six-month-old son when the car severed sideways and hit the median strip. The car was said to be borrowed from a friend, to which the DMV stated that it was registered to Howland Reed. It took a while for the first responders to get to the scene due to the storm. They found Stark clutching her son from the wreckage. She was then declared dead on arrival at the Moat Cailin District Hospital. Stark's son, Aegon was now placed in the custody of the former's brother, Eddard Stark._

"Oh my gods," She gasped. Meera's father had tried to help Lyanna Stark by lending her his car, but she died in a car accident. Though it still doesn't add up on how Ned Stark supposedly cut ties with her father, or how he is involved in everything she just read.

Plus, she spotted a flaw in it. According to Bran, his cousin's name was _Jon_. But this news article said it was _Aegon_. Then she remembered Bran also telling her that he and his siblings all have second names, so that's probably the case.

She continued reading:

_But after the deaths of the late governor, Rickard Stark, his son, Brandon and 8 others in King's Landing—dubbed as 'Massacre of Wolves', last year orchestrated by the assassinated former president Aerys Targaryen, others are questioning whether her death is plotted by Targaryen loyalists or an act of the gods._

"Massacre of Wolves?" Meera repeated. She then googled it and two articles from _The Northern Herald _were highlighted. She opened them in another tab.

The first news article read:_ Northern Governor Killed in King's Landing Bombing_.

The rest of its content said:

_Governor Rickard Stark traveled with his convoy and staff to the capital for the annual State of the Nation's address of the President. On their way back North just as they were leaving King's Landing, all five van convoys exploded instantly killing 10 people, including the Northern Governor, Rickard Stark, and injuring 15 others._

_Among the victims were the governor's son, Brandon and their staff namely: Martyn Cassel, Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Theo Wull, Mark Ryswell, Kyle Royce, Elbert Arryn, and Jeffory Mallister. 15 others were injured and were taken to a hospital._

_KLPD chief Manly Stokeworth speculated that the bombs were planted under the convoy vans while parked amidst the President's State of the Nation's Address as nothing suspicious was found or detected when they were checked. It was then triggered as the governor and his party were leaving the capital. Rebels and political rivals were suspected to have masterminded the bombing. Thus, further investigations ensue._

The second news article she opened had the headline: _President Targaryen, Alleged Mastermind behind the Massacre of Wolves_. And its contents said:

_The King's Landing Bombing is now dubbed as the 'Massacre of Wolves', as most of the victims were Northmen. Three weeks after the incident, a whistleblower came forward and pointed a finger at the president of the country himself._

_The whistleblower, Qarlton Chelsted, a former employee of the president, having only resigned after the bombing, claims that he did not want to be involved but was forced to reveal the truth out of his conscience._

_"This saddens me to inform you that he is, in fact, the instigator of everything that happened." Chelsted had said, "He may already have hired assassins to kill me now, but it's alright. Before he does, the truth has to come out."_

_Chelsted revealed that he instructed three White Cloaks to plant bombs under Governor Stark's convoys. All three of the presidential guards also came forward and claimed they only did it by the president's orders, no questions asked as it was their jobs to do so. Chelsted also revealed that all that happened was simply a stunt for the president to prove to his eldest son that he was skeptical about Northmen._

_President Targaryen had denied all the accusations against him. "The opposition would say anything to put me in the red light and I'm not surprised. Chelsted is a former employee who got mad because he was fired. Simple."_

_But suspicions were raised when two of the presidential guards, who had agreed to stand witness, died mysteriously before being placed in the Witness Protection Program. It also only fueled protests in the North to impeach the president._

_Northern Vice Governor—now Acting Governor, Jon "Greatjon" Umber, directly called Pres. Targaryen a coward in a presscon. "The law excuses no one, not even you [Pres. Targaryen]! If you are indeed not involved from these accusations, you shouldn't be hiding from the towers of the Red Keep, you should be out there proving your innocence." Governor Umber had then urged the Congress for a move to impeach the president and have him tried for mass murder._

_The President was then placed under house arrest by the Supreme Court when his own son, Rhaegar Targaryen came forward with a 6-minute audio recording of his conversation with his father admitting the truth to him, confirming Chelsted's story about Pres. Targaryen's skeptical discrimination on Northmen. The presidential son, who was dating the late governor's daughter, Lyanna Stark, expressed his sorrow and recent over his father's actions. "My father did a lot of things in his term, but this is something beyond us." He had said in a press interview. "They were right, the law excuses no one. And for that, he has to go through trials just like any ordinary citizen. Only the gods hold his fate now."_

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed. Meera only realized now that there are a lot of things that were not taught to them in history classes in school.

At the bottom of the page, three suggested news articles caught her attention, so she opened them on other tabs.

The first one's headline said: _The Riverlands and Vale Join the North in their Revolt Against the Targaryen Administration, Threats of Civil War engulfs_. And it even had an image of the regional flags of the North, Vale, and Riverlands placed side by side. The rest of it follows:

_Following the King's Landing Bombing, the whistleblowers that came forward, the region of the North had locked the borders from outsiders. Prayer rallies for the victims and political protests of impeachment were held in various Northern cities against Pres. Targaryen. But despite the accusations against him, he continues to deny them, prompting protests even in the capital city itself._

_"The North remembers," Acting Governor Umber declared. "We will not take his denial lightly. Lives were lost and the people injured were traumatized. No one wants a ruthless leader who kills people for his own pleasure. Don't be a coward, you old bat. Face the consequences of your actions. You don't want an entire region against you."_

_Following Acting Governor Umber's statement, the Vale Governor, Jon Arryn and Riverlands Governor, Hoster Tully came forward and made declarations with the full support of their people to the North._

_"My own nephew was killed in the bombing," Vale Governor, Jon Arryn had said, "President Targaryen did not just kill Northmen, he killed Valemen as well. What he did defiantly violates the law by using his seat of power to eliminate rivals in politics. Therefore, if the North will declare war on the Red Keep, the region of the Vale will stand with the North."_

_Riverlands Governor Hoster Tully expressed his condolences to his son-by-law, Eddard Stark, who had lost a father and a brother in the bombing, and the other victims' families. "President Targaryen should pay his debts as the law excuses no one," Governor Tully declared during a presscon. "Even if he holds the country's highest position. How heartless and impotent can a man be to resort into this kind of violence? We are not blind, and if this is the kind of leader that we have, promoting violence over peace and killing without mercy, then he can go f*ck himself. Thus, the North will have the full support of the region of the Riverlands in their campaign to oust Aerys Targaryen from his seat of power."_

_Rebel uprisings have been reported in the Riverlands after Tully's declaration, while the gates of the Red Keep were flooded with protestors threatening the safety of the first family._

In the second article she opened, it said: _Pres. Aerys Targaryen Impeached and Charged Guilty of Mass Murder, VP Robert Baratheon Inaugurated as New President_.

It had two images below the headline, placed side by side. The one on the left showed a picture of Pres. Targaryen in a Kevlar vest over his orange prisoner jumpsuit and he was in handcuffs. And he looked like he hadn't shaved for weeks. Its caption said: _Pres. Targaryen impeached and charged for mass murder at the Supreme Court._ While the image on the left showed a young Robert Baratheon with his two brothers. He had his right arm raised before a judge in black robes. The caption below describing the image said: _VP Robert Baratheon, joined by his brothers, Stannis and Renly, takes his oath as the new president of the country before the Great Sept of Baelor with Chief Justice Lucerys Velaryon._

The content said:

_Around eight in the morning, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Lucerys Velaryon released his verdict on Pres. Aerys Targaryen's cases. After the House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Pres. Targaryen was also tried for mass murder due to the bombing of King's Landing that claimed 10 lives, including Governor Rickard Stark. This morning, after receiving unanimous votes from justices and the jury, he was charged guilty beyond reasonable doubt and will, therefore, suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment without pardon, parole and with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office._

_On the same day at noon, the Vice President Robert Baratheon was inaugurated as the new president of the country before the Great Sept of Baelor, with Chief Justice Lucerys Velaryon presiding. On his oath, he proclaimed:_

_"I, Robert Estermont Baratheon, Vice President of Westeros, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill the duties as the new President of Westeros in the service of the nation. So help me, gods." _

_Former Pres. Targaryen will be escorted to the Wolf's Den in the North on the following morning where he will serve his sentence for the rest of his life. In the meantime, the rest of the first family was forced to depart the Red Keep and back to their ancestral lands in Dragonstone Island._

The last article completely bothered her. The headline said: _Former Pres. Targaryen Assassinated by Rebels on the way to the Wolf's Den Prison_. The image below showed convoy vans barricaded and WBI people in Kevlar vests and rifles. One of the vans was surrounded by caution tapes and orange traffic cones. Its content read:

_Saturday morning was while the Westeros Bureau of Investigation (WBI) and the Westeros Department of Corrections (WDOC) were escorting the former president to the Wolf's Den Prison in White Harbor, the entire entourage was ambushed by a rebel group in the Kingsroad, right before crossing the Trident River in Harroway's town northwards._

_The rebel group was known as the Brotherhood Without Banners, recognized by their plain black banner. According to residents in Harroway, the rebel group doesn't follow the government but protects the common folk across the Riverlands._

_Former Pres. Aerys Targaryen was shot through the head with a sniper rifle and died on the spot. Five others, who were with him in the convoy van, only suffered minor injuries._

_Some speculated that the opposition or Stark loyalists orchestrated the whole incident. All parties denied the allegations. The new head of the Stark family, Eddard Stark assured that they had nothing to do with it, but did not face the media. Instead, a family friend, Howland Reed, spoke on his behalf._

_"I have known the Stark family for years," Reed declared. "Not once did they ever think worse of other people. Yes, they lost family members in the bombing, but having the former president charged with a life sentence is justice enough for them."_

_Whilst the assassination, the former president's widow, Rhaella Targaryen, who is 8 months pregnant gave birth prematurely to a healthy baby girl. But she only lived long enough to name the newborn baby as she passed away 30 minutes after._

_The firstborn son, 24-year-old Rhaegar had then regained custody of his younger siblings, including 7-year-old, Viserys. He had stated that after burying their parents, he will flee the country with his younger brother and sister to start a new life. The status of his relationship with the late governor's daughter, Lyanna Stark is still unknown._

Meera had then closed her laptop in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she had just read. There were definitely a lot of things she hadn't learned in school about it. The disturbing parts were: that Aerys Targaryen killed Northmen just to prove a point to his son; that there's a plothole to Rhaegar and Lyanna's story; and lastly, that her father is involved.

For the most part, her Dad had mentioned that he had known the Starks for years and he was very good friends with them. But somehow, cut ties with them for twenty-five years. She still didn't understand.

It kept her up late for the past three days. Meera considered calling her Dad, but she felt like her father would just evade the question and change the topic. So it's better if she just confronted him head-on, that way he'll have no excuse.

Saturday came, and as Jojen ate his breakfast, Meera was ironing Jojen's black toga and the mint green graduation hood when their parents came.

Their Mom, Jyana went straight to Jojen, who was at the table eating his breakfast and planted kisses on his forehead.

"Aww, my baby boy is graduating." Jyana said.

"Mom, I'm eating." Jojen complained.

"Oh, come on, Jojen," Meera chuckled. "This kind of thing doesn't happen everyday. Just finish your tea so we can go."

As Jojen finished his tea, Meera approached her parents, who were all dressed up and sitting on the couch waiting for them.

"Mom, Dad," She spoke up. "I wanna talk to you about something."

"Sure, sweetie," Her Dad said. "What is it?"

"It's about the Starks and—" Meera started to say.

Their parents' facial expressions were like, _here we go_. Like they were trying to think of a way to change the topic or try to do something to avoid talking about it.

"I'm ready!" Jojen yelled, clutching her toga and grad hood as he got into the living room. "Let's go."

She instantly saw her parents' sigh of relief as her father stood up with a smile.

"Well, as much as I would love to chat with you, sweetie," Howland said. "We're going to be late. We have to go, now."

Meera shrugged. "I guess."

As they left for UWH, Meera promised herself that she's going to print all those news articles she had read as further proof if their parents try to deny anything. And she will have to talk to Bran about it too.

**BRAN**

After meeting Meera's parents, Bran became determined and eager to introduce her to his parents. But since they were back home in Winterfell, he would just have to do it during his graduation rites.

He was in lively spirits when he left the Reeds' flat. He ordered two boxes of pizza, drove to a pharmacy and bought a box of condoms before heading home that night. But as he entered the penthouse, he was surprised to see his dog, Summer greeting him at the front door.

"Summer?" Bran said as he knelt and scratched Summer's neck. "How are you here, buddy?"

"Oh, fuck!" He could hear Beren groaning from the living room.

And then, there was his sister Arya's laughter. "Try to move and you're dead." She responded.

"Come on, Stark!" Beren complained. "Just let me out!"

At that point, Bran's imagination was getting wild so he sprinted to the living room. He found his sister, Arya, with her dog, Nymeria, and his roommate Beren in an intense videogame tournament.

Apparently, Arya's character got Beren's character trapped in a blindspot out of Arya's sniper range. And they were both focused on the flatscreen with their videogame consoles.

"Hey, guys," He greeted. "I bought pizza."

"Oh, hey, Bran," Beren said.

"Headshot!" Arya yelled in delight.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Beren said, dropping his videogame console.

"Woohoo!" Arya smiled wickedly. "No one has ever beaten me."

Beren turned to Bran. "This the third game we had and I have never won against your sister." He grumbled. "I mean, how is that possible?"

"I know, man," Bran assured. "We all went there. Unless you give Jon the console, then you'll have a chance."

"Jon isn't here," Arya argued. "So it doesn't matter." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, it took you a while to get home, little brother. Were you on a date with Meera again?" She asked.

"Technically, no," He said as he settled the boxes of pizza on the coffee table. "It's more like a dinner date with her parents."

"You met her parents?" Beren asked as he opened one of the boxes and took a slice of pizza.

"They sort of made a surprise visit," He explained. "And they seemed really nice. Meera even said they like me."

"Well, that's good news," Arya said, then took a bite from her slice of pizza.

"What about you?" Bran asked. "What are you doing here, hmm?"

"I came to bring you Summer, obviously," Arya replied. "I cannot stand him howling all night. Then this one—" She pointed at Nymeria. "—decided to howl with him, which makes the noise twice as loud and worse. And I slept on the divan couch at the end of the hallway the entire night."

"You what?"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Robb or Dad." She insisted. "And when Mom found out, she agreed to have me take Summer back with you."

"Thanks," He said. "I guess."

"Well, after I won three games against Tallhart Number Four," Arya pointed out. "And right after finishing this box, I'll be heading home."

The following day after grad practice, Bran once again drove to _The Northern Herald_ just in time for Meera as she got off from work.

Bran had two reasons why he was there. First, it's because he missed her and he loved spending time with her. And the second reason was sort of, a solution to the first. He needed her help in writing a speech for the graduation rites. Sure, he could write a paper on his own, but Meera's a journalist. He figured she can spot grammar and punctuation mistakes better than he can.

That night, after she helped him with his speech, Bran ended up sleeping with her—which was not part of the plan. But it was a good thing he bought that box of condoms because it'll be embarrassing if he took another one from Beren's stash and he'll tease him about it.

The next succeeding days to graduation, he hadn't seen Meera since she'd been very busy with work and the guy who died on the job won't be replaced until next week. But he called and exchanged text messages with Meera before they both went to sleep and he had promised her that he will introduce her to his parents on his graduation.

Bran had also cleaned the other vacant bedrooms as his sisters have mentioned that they would be staying overnight. So by Friday night, he had placed bedsheets over the mattresses, pillowcases on the pillows, and comforters for blankets.

As for Beren, he had already packed up his stuff as he'll be moving back to Torrhen's Square on the same day.

When graduation day finally came, Bran was both excited and nervous at the same time. Excited, because another chapter in his life closes and another one opens. And nervous, because of the speech he had to make in front of an audience and there's of course, introducing Meera to his family.

Bran and Beren were eating their breakfast when their family came.

"What up, B's!" Rickon's voice echoed through the penthouse.

"Hey, little Stark," Beren gave Rickon a high five.

"Your family's here too."

Bran's entire family was there, his parents, Ned and Catelyn; his brothers, Robb and Rickon; his sisters, Arya and Sansa; and even his cousin, Jon, and foster brother, Theon Greyjoy. Beren's family was also with them, his parents, Leobald and Berena Tallhart; and his older brother, Brandon.

They greeted each other as they entered the penthouse. And their dogs were there too.

Ned and Catelyn sometimes visited them back when there were more of them staying in the _Aquamarine_. When Robb, Theon, Sansa, and Arya were in college, Bran and Rickon would always come with their parents.

The visits stopped when only Bran was left in the penthouse. And since then, he was the one doing the adjusting. He would always visit his family in Winterfell. He went home on the weekends, but as the school year progressed he became more and more busy. And that's why they allowed a roommate to stay with him so he won't be alone.

And with Rickon starting college in the fall, their parents allowed Bran to stay in the _Aquamarine_ so he can review for the boards and also so he can watch over his wild little brother.

Their Moms showered them with kisses, much to Beren's dismay. Then their parents began chatting with each other in the living room, talking about politics and business, while Robb and Jon were also catching up with Brandon and Beren Tallhart just by the kitchen. And Rickon, Arya, and Sansa were in the kitchen.

Rickon and Arya went directly to the fridge and rummaged for a quick snack.

"You people have no food." Rickon complained.

"They have food," Arya argued. "What the fuck do you call these?" She said, gesturing to the contents in the refrigerator. "They're fresh ingredients so you'll have to make from scratch."

But then Arya opened the freezer and pulled out a _Minisa's Ice Cream_ solo cup in a Cookies n' Cream flavor, making Rickon's eyes widen in surprise.

"Ooh, ice cream!" Rickon screamed in delight. "Now, where do you keep the spoons?"

"Rickon, you just ate." Sansa spoke up.

Rickon shrugged. "I'm hungry again."

Then suddenly, Theon entered the penthouse with their security team headed by Jory Cassel. And they were carrying a sort of, bellhop cart similar to the one in hotels, will all their stuff.

Bran frowned at them. "Um, how many days are you guys staying here?" He asked.

"Just overnight." Robb answered.

"Overnight?" He repeated, then glanced at his family like they were kidding, then at the luggage, then back at them. "You looked like you packed for a week."

"Um, hello?" Sansa interrupted, waving her hands at him. "There's like eight of us."

"Yeah, and Sansa has like, three bags," Arya interjected. "And it's kinda self-explanatory."

"No, I don't," Sansa argued. "For the record, I only have two."

"Oh, of course," Arya laughed, mockingly. "Because one bag contains your actual clothes and the other has all your skincare, makeup and all that organic shit you put in your hair."

They all knew it was gonna turn into an argument between them, so Robb and Jon had to step in.

"Okay," Jon spoke up. "That's enough arguing."

"Can you both please, keep it together for a day?" Robb pleaded. "We're all here for Bran's graduation not for your bickering."

. . .

Afterwards, they all headed to the UWH Auditorium where the commencement rites will be held.

Most of the candidates for graduation were gathered outside the auditorium with their families.

Their graduation gowns and caps were black, of course. But the hoods they had on were of different colors, and each color represents the field of the degree that they had finished. Bran's was orange since he was in the engineering field. He vaguely remembered her older siblings' hood colors, Robb's was purple as he finished Law; Sansa's and Theon's were dirty yellow as they were in the Commerce, Accountancy and Business field, and Arya's was a brown as she finished Architecture—it's how their parents found out she took a different program a week before graduation because hers had a different hood color from Sansa's.

Before the ceremony, was also the time where families met families. Or in other people's cases, their significant others' families.

Bran recognized his friends among the crowd, Lyanna Mormont had a purple hood and was with her four sisters, and they met the Tallharts—as Dacey Mormont was dating Brandon Tallhart, Beren's brother. Beren had a dirty yellow hood because he was in the business program.

He also spotted the Reeds by the oak tree. Meera was fixing Jojen's mint green grad hood. And Meera, well, she looked so beautiful in her green dress.

Meera spotted her across the crowd and smiled and waved at him. He wanted to approach her but they were already told to go inside.

And as they did, Bran heard his father, Ned grunted. "I can't believe they're here again." He complained.

"Ned," Catelyn scolded. "Would you please pull yourself together? It's your son's graduation, for the Seven's sake!" She reminded him.

"First, I find out his daughter is in Robb's year." Ned continued. "And now his son is in Bran's year. I mean, I don't even know if the fates are trying to tell me something."

"Ned." Catelyn gritted her teeth, the way she does when she's angry but they're in public and it's as if she's saying, _I'll deal with you when we get home._ Also, she gave his Dad her famous death glare like she's saying, _Not now!_

Ned took a deep breath. "Right, sorry." He said, then forced out a smile.

As for the march and the seats, the graduates were arranged alphabetically by their last name, regardless of their fields of study. Normally, they were accompanied by a maximum of two persons during the march and occasionally, those positions were filled in by the parents.

Other guests were already seated inside, the same thing with his brothers and sisters while his parents stood on either side of Bran.

"So, your girlfriend is here, am I right?" His Dad, Ned spoke up.

Bran frowned at his Dad. "How did you know—"

"Your sisters mentioned it."

He huffed. "And I thought Rickon was the most talkative."

His Mom chuckled. "Brandon, you can't blame your father for wanting to meet her." She pointed out. "As I've said, it's very rare for both your sisters to agree on anything. And when they do, I consider it a good sign."

"And if they liked her," Ned interjected. "There's a very high chance that we'll like her too."

The ceremony with the march of graduates, then after they were seated, the university Vice President, Dr. Halys Hornwood gave the opening remarks, then followed by the individual distribution of the diplomas to the graduates, which was, of course, done alphabetically.

The diplomas were placed in blue-green faux leather folders with the university's official seal in dark green print.

When they call your name, you had to go up the stage, shake hands with the University President, Marlon Manderly before he hands you your diploma, transfers your graduation cap tassels from the right to the left, and allow you to take a photograph with your family up stage before taking a bow.

Finally, Bran was called, _"Stark, Brandon Eddard T.,"_ And they also announced from which field you came from and your special award. "_Bachelor of Science in Civil Structural Engineering, Summa Cum Laude."_

Bran shook hands with the university president, took his diploma and gave him the gold _summa cum laude_ medal. His entire family went up to the stage and took a few pics with him before bowing to the crowd.

And because Bran had the highest distinction, he was asked to give a speech, much to his dismay.

Bran was never one who volunteered to speak up, even in class. Unless he was asked to do it for a recitation or it was a requirement for a class report and/or oral defense.

His hands were literally shaking as he went up the stage and to the podium. He considered backing out, until he spotted Meera in the crowd, giving him an encouraging nod and a two thumbs-up.

"University President, Marlon Manderly, Ph.D.," Bran started. "Vice President Halys Hornwood, Ph.D., Dean Ondrew Locke, Ph.D., Board of Trustees, professors, staff, administrators, parents, friends, guests, and fellow graduates, a pleasant morning to all."

"Honestly, I'm not good at public speaking," He continued. "Never was, and it's not hereditary, so just please bear with me." He cleared his throat. "Today marks an important day of our lives. You know, I didn't realize until I'm making this speech why people call graduation, _commencement_. It's called such because it means it's not the end of something, it's also the beginning. The beginning of a new chapter in our lives. It is a great privilege for me to stand here today and represent all my fellow graduates. All of our achievements represent the sacrifices, hard work, perseverance, and determination that we have mustered here in the _University of White Harbor_."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to say that I am very grateful," He wholehearted said. "Not because of the awards I was given, but for the memories and guidance that I had received from the people close to my heart. To my Mom and Dad, for their never-ending support in everything that we do and for always encouraging me and my siblings to do things that we love to do, in the right sense, of course."

He could see his Mom becoming teary-eyed in the audience and his Dad giving him an approving nod.

"To my brothers and sisters," He carried on. "For always being there to help no matter how busy they get—may it be school projects or life advice. Even though they annoy me most of the time."

The audience laughed at his remark. And Bran could see Arya raising her middle finger at him, but Jon swatted her hand away.

"For my friends, for always standing by me and knocking some sense into me whenever I do something stupid—you know who you people are. And for my girlfriend—"

Most of his fellow graduates started talking to their seatmates. _He has a girlfriend?_ They seemed to say.

"Yeah, that's right, I have one." Bran declared. "She also helped me made this speech, which I added tons of adlibs that I think works." He snorted. "My _Stardust_, for always reminding me that I don't have to pretend to be someone else to please people and that I just have to be myself and let fate do the rest."

He could see Meera smiling wide at him and gave him a flying kiss.

Bran was also becoming teary-eyed himself, so he cleared his throat. "I think the speech is getting too long." He chuckled. "One last thing, if there's another thing I learned in college other than the actual education, is that we can be what we want to be, and what we love to be. We shouldn't adjust to fit in into the world we live in, we define ourselves as we choose. And no matter where we go—near or far, the bonds that we have formed here, we will always cherish. Congratulations to all of us!"

The audience cheered as they gave him a standing ovation.

As Bran went back to his seat, the University president, Marlon Manderly went back to the podium and gave his closing remarks. "As president of this institution," He said. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduates of the _University of White Harbor_ Class of _308 AC_. Congratulations!"

The graduates cheered and they tossed the caps as high as they can in the air while everyone else clapped their hands.

. . .

After the commencement ceremony, Meera approached him outside the auditorium.

"Congratulations, Branflakes." She greeted as she hugged him from behind.

"Hey," Bran smiled as he returned the hug. "So, how was it? Did I did okay?"

"You're a liar," She pointed out. "You said you were terrible at public speaking."

"I am," He admitted as he let go and faced her.

"No, you were brilliant!" Meera insisted, then kissed him on his cheek. "And the adlibs were lit."

"Meera!" Bran could hear his sister, Arya's voice. "Hi."

"Oh, hello, Arya," Meera greeted as Arya gave her a hug.

Sansa followed after her and greeted Meera the same way. "Oh my gods, finally!" She turned to him. "Aren't you gonna introduce her to Mom and Dad?" she asked.

"I'm going to," Bran said. "It's just that they get stuck up meeting people."

Then his brothers got out of the auditorium. Robb spotted them first, then approached them followed by their other brothers.

"Hello, you must be Meera," Robb said, holding his hand out for a shake. "Wait, you look familiar."

"You were in the same year, big bro," Bran informed, turning back to Meera. "This is our eldest brother, Robb. You probably remember him."

"Of course, I do." Meera said as she shook Robb's hand.

"Seven hells!" Robb exclaimed. "We were also in the same row during graduation."

Bran continued to introduce Meera to his brothers. "This is Rickon, our youngest brother."

"Hi, Meera," Rickon grinned. "Did you know Bran always talks about you and—"

"Okay, baby bro," Robb placed his arm around their youngest brother and gently slapped his mouth. "Stop embarrassing us."

Bran cleared his throat, gesturing at Jon and Theon. "And that's Jon and Theon."

"Hello, Meera," Jon nodded in acknowledgment.

Theon took Meera's hand and shook it. "Hello there, holy shit!" He said. "Wex is right, you are pretty."

Bran pulled Meera's hand from Theon's grasp. "Dude, back off, she's mine."

Theon raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, jeez."

When their parents finally got out of the auditorium, followed by their security and a few friends, Bran fulfilled his promise and introduced Meera to his folks.

His Mom seemed excited, while his Dad looked curious.

"Mom, Dad, this is Meera," Bran introduced her to them. "My girlfriend."

"Hello, my dear," Catelyn smiled, shaking Meera's hand. "It's great to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Mrs. Stark." Meera said.

Ned gave Meera a warm smile then shook her hand. "We've heard much about you, darling." He said. "And we're meeting you at last!"

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Meera acknowledged. "It's an honor as well."

His parents then had a short conversation about Meera, where she's from, what her job was like, why was she staying in White Harbor and other stuff.

It's also the time Jojen approached him and congratulated him. It also allowed Bran to introduce Jojen to the rest of his family as Meera's brother.

But when it came to Howland and Jyana Reed, he could feel the tension that hung in the air. All their parents' facial expressions weren't right.

Howland and Jyana had guarded expressions, with Howland visibly taking a deep breath and standing taller and Jyana gripping her husband's arm tighter.

Ned and Catelyn's smiles disappeared in an instant. Catelyn had a calm expression and a half-hearted smile, while Ned had a calm, deathly glare. And it's the same expression he had given Roose Bolton when they were hearing Ramsay's trial on his crimes against them. Like he wanted to punch someone in the face, but he's only restraining himself to not cause a scene in front of a lot of people.

"Howland," Ned nodded in acknowledgment, in a steely, cold tone. "Jya, it's been a long time."

"Ned, Cat," Howland nodded in respect.

Bran looked back and forth between his parents and Meera's parents. "You guys know each other?" He asked.

Neither of them gave him a straight answer.

Ned shrugged. "It's a long story."

It made Bran excited. He turned back to the Reeds. "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, we're having a lunch celebration at the _Aquamarine_, you should join us." He suggested.

Howland Reed gave him a sad smile, which he didn't understand. "We'd love to, but we've already made other plans."

"Oh, maybe next time, then?" Bran prompted.

"Of course, Brandon."

On the ride back to the Aquamarine, Robb beat him into asking the question he'd been dreading to ask.

"Dad, you never told us you know Meera's family," Robb said. "You've known them for a long time?" He asked.

"We met in college," Their Dad reluctantly answered. "He was a friend."

"_Was_?" Arya spoke up. "Past tense?"

"Arya," Catelyn scolded. "Would you please give your father a break?"

"I'm just asking," Arya defended. "And Dad looked like he wanted to punch him so—"

"Arya!" Catelyn said again.

Bran nudged his sister, who was sitting beside him.

Back at the _Aquamarine_, they had a lunch celebration with the Tallharts. And none of them ever brought up the Reeds. But Bran didn't even dare to avoid being scolded by their Mom again. He didn't even understand his Dad's beef with Meera's Dad, but he'll find out soon.

At around late afternoon, Beren was packing up his stuff, ready to go back to Torrhen's Square.

As Beren's brother was carrying his bags down to their car, Beren bid his final farewells. "Hey, Stark B," He called.

"So, you're going now, huh?" He asked.

Beren nodded. "It's been a wild ride going through college with you, Brandon Stark." He said. "You mostly kept me from doing all the shitty stuff and helped me with school work, and for never failing to remind me of all the stupid things I did when I was intoxicated. For all that, I, thank you. You're the best roommate anyone can ask for."

Bran snorted. "Likewise."

Beren suddenly gave him a quick hug. "I'm gonna miss you, man." He said, then let go of the hug. "But don't worry, your sister said our companies could have joint ventures so we'll probably see each other in a board meeting or something."

"Just don't bring liquor beverages to a board meeting."

As the Tallharts left, Bran prepared Beren's former room as it's where his older brothers would be sleeping for the night. His sisters will be sleeping in Arya's old room. Bran himself and Rickon would be on the pull-out mattress of the king-size bed in the master bedroom, while their parents will take the actual bed.

For dinner, their older brothers stoke up the grill for barbeque and they huddled around the fire pit in the area by the pool for s'mores afterwards.

Their Dad had popped the champagne and Theon distributed the champagne-filled glass to each of them.

"Hey," Robb interjected. "Why did you give Rickon a glass? He's underage." He said, attempting to take away the champagne glass Theon had given him.

Rickon moved away from Robb. "I'm eighteen." He insisted. "I'm not underage."

"Yes, you are," Robb argued, still trying to get Rickon's drink from him. "Legal drinking age is twenty-one."

Rickon walked around the pool to get away from Robb. "We're in the North," He reminded him. "Not the Crownlands or the Stormlands. The legal drinking age here is eighteen, not twenty-one."

"Oh my gods, baby brother," Sansa spoke up. "Did you actually checked it out?"

Rickon shrugged. "Sort of," He then forced out a smile.

"Boys," Ned called out. "Go back to your seats."

His brothers obliged and went back to their seats.

Ned cleared his throat. "I would like to propose a toast to Bran, for graduating with the highest distinction." He turned to him. "Congratulations, son. We are very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad." He said.

"Oh, and also," Arya stood up, holding up her drink. "For our future construction company honoring our ancestor, _Brandon the Builder_!"

"Cheers!"Everyone raised and clanked their champagne glasses together before drinking.

"Wait," Robb suddenly spoke up. "Arya, is that gonna be your company name?"

"What?" Arya asked.

"_Brandon the Builder?_"

"No, of course not," Arya defended. "First of all, that is a shitty name for a company. It sounds like a tablet game for toddlers. No offense to all the Brandons in the family," She jabbed a finger at Bran. "Including you, little brother. Second of all, there have been far too many Brandons in our family, the last thing we need is to confuse people."

Jon emptied his glass. "What's it called then?" He asked.

"The_ Northern Alliance_." Arya blurted out.

"That's a nice name, Cupcake." Ned complimented.

Arya shrugged. "It was Bran's idea, and it somehow clicks."

"Of course it does," Bran said. "Normally, I'd brainstorm since you're kind of hard to please, but I guess it works."

. . .

That night as they went to sleep, Bran had figured out a little about his Dad's history with Howland Reed.

Apparently, Rickon had too many glasses of champagne, which made Robb and Jon literally half-carry and half-drag him to the master bedroom.

"If this is how Rickon drinks with us," Jon wondered. "How much more if he drinks with friends on weekends? No doubt he'll be even more wasted than he is now."

"That's what I'm worried about." Bran admitted.

"Well, good luck, little brother," Robb said as he patted Bran's shoulder. "But in hindsight, Rickon listens to you more than he does to me, so I think you're gonna be fine."

They placed him on the pull-out mattress and his younger brother passed out just as his head hit the pillow.

Not long after, Bran fell asleep next to his brother. But sometime between the night, he woke up with the comforter over him, Rickon snoring loud beside him and to his parents' hushed conversation.

Thankfully, Bran had his back from his parents, so they obviously didn't notice him being awake.

_"—the boys really asleep?"_ His Dad, Ned asked.

_"Yes, they are,"_ Catelyn replied._ "Rickon is snoring. Bran is a light sleeper but he didn't even budge when I pulled the covers on him."_

There were a few seconds of silence until he heard his mother's voice again.

_"I know that face,"_ Catelyn said. _"You're thinking about what happened earlier with the Reeds."_

_"I just can't believe it, Cat,"_ Ned huffed. _"The North is the largest region in Westeros, and how in the old gods did Bran ever meet Howland's daughter?"_

_"You know, Ned, I'm seeing this as a sign,"_ Catelyn insisted. _"We've stayed away from the Reeds for too long. Don't you think it's time to—"_

_"What?"_ Ned interrupted. _"Make amends? Have you forgotten what Howland did? My sister died because of him."_

_"Lyanna died in a car accident, you know that."_

_"But if he hadn't interfered she would've been still here,"_ Ned argued. _"And Jon might still have his mother. Unless he can get my sister's life back, then maybe I'll consider it."_

_What?!_ Bran mentally screamed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

_"Our children are already asking questions,"_ Catelyn reminded him. _"And eventually, we are going to have to tell them. You know how they are, if they can't get answers from us they will search for it elsewhere."_

His Dad became quiet again.

_"Ned,"_ Catelyn said in her pleading tone of voice. _"Meera seems nice and Bran likes her. Just—whatever your squabble was with Howland, please leave our children out of this."_

That day, Bran figured out his family's feud with the Reeds. But there some things he didn't understand though. Why weren't he and his siblings informed about it? Was Howland Reed really involved in his Aunt Lyanna's death? Do Meera and Jojen even know about it or were they kept in the dark as well?

There were tons of questions on his mind and he will find out all the answers soon. But he needed to talk to Meera about it first.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

**It's safe to say the Starks are the Kennedys of Westeros. HAHAH Anyways, there's gonna be Gendrya on the next chapter.:)**


	9. An Eye For An Eye

**ARYA**

The following week after Bran's graduation, Arya traveled to Harrenhal in the Riverlands with Jorelle Mormont.

Arya had packed her things when they got home to Winterfell on Sunday. She didn't drive her car because she was hitching onto a group, technically a few employees in the wireless internet department of _Stormbreaker Telecom_ in the North. It's kinda weird since according to Jorelle, most of the employees there were registered and licensed engineers in various fields in either mechanical, electrical or computer and electronics engineering.

The assembly place was in Moat Cailin Train Station, but they aren't actually taking the train, they've hired a van because there are sixteen of them all in all. And they chose the town of Moat Cailin because it is where all the Northern highways meet.

Her father, Ned Stark had insisted that she'd be driven to Moat Cailin instead of just taking the train from Winterfell bound for the capital, making stops including Moat Cailin and several towns in the Riverlands.

"I'll have Hullen drive you to Moat Cailin." Ned insisted. "That way, I'll know you've arrived safely."

"But Daddy, I'm twenty-two," Arya protested. "I can handle myself."

"No buts, Arya," Ned said. "My decision is final."

She had no choice but to follow her Dad's orders. Normally, she wasn't a stickler for the rules. But when it comes to her Dad, his word is law. It is part of the respect Arya had for him. Mostly, because he had tolerated all the boyish and unusual activities she did as a child up until now—unlike her Mom who's mostly _girls should be this and that not what you're doing_.

When Arya chose to do fencing instead of ballet lessons, her Mom had strongly declined. But her Dad convinced her otherwise. And back when she was in college, Arya had said that she was going to paint murals on the walls in her room, her Mom said an instant _no_. But it was her Dad who accompanied her to the hardware store to buy the paints.

"Arya!" She could hear Jorelle's voice calling out to her.

Arya turned and saw Jorelle Mormont waving at her.

The Mormont sisters were basically their childhood friends. the fourth-born, Jorelle—close friends and family call her 'Jory'—counts as her bestfriend since they were in the same year in school and both like painting. And between both of them, Jory was the social one.

"Stark, come on!" Jory called again.

As Arya got closer she began to notice that Jorelle had a suitcase and a backpack with her. So did her colleagues. They seemed to pack more than they should have.

"Hi," Jory greeted, then glanced at her then at her backpack.

"What?" She asked.

Jorelle pointed at her backpack. "That's all your stuff?"

"It's a three-day seminar," Arya reminded her. "Plus, Monday and Friday for us to travel and settled in and out of the hotel—which makes it five days. But you obviously hadn't packed light."

"Actually, it's seven days," Jory corrected. "Because we have a two-day outdoor team building activity on Saturday and Sunday."

"And that is?" Arya asked.

"Trekking up Mount Alarra from Highpoint."

"Mountain climbing?" Arya snorted. "That is must be fun."

"You should come then," Another voice called out from behind her.

Arya turned and saw a familiar face.

A tall, muscular guy stood behind her. He had dark hair and blue eyes and his smile was friendly enough. _Gendry Baratheon_, she thought. The last time she saw him, it was at a dinner party with both their families. Back then when her sister, Sansa and Gendry's brother, Joffrey had once dated.

She remembered Gendry being just quiet and always stood and sat by his father, Robert Baratheon. Now, he radiated self-confidence and enthusiasm.

"Wait, I know you," Gendry said. He frowned as if trying to remember something. "Arya Stark, right?"

Before Arya could say anything, Jorelle spoke up. "Um, Mr. Baratheon," She said. "I invited her to come with us on this seminar and—"

"Of course," Gendry smiled. "Any licensed professional is welcome to go with us."

Arya looked around him, expecting to see bodyguards and personal assistants, which made her ask the most stupid question possible.

"Where's everyone else?" She asked. "I mean, you're the president's son and—"

"Hey, shh," Gendry interrupted, holding a finger to her mouth. "Okay, let's not announce that for everyone to hear."

"Keeping a low profile, huh?" Arya guessed. "It's cool. I totally get that."

Gendry cleared his throat. "Anyways," He turned to the other _Stormbreaker Telecom_ employees. "Everyone, our ride is here. Please get in and we'll be in Harrenhal in—" He glanced at his wristwatch before turning back to them. "—four hours."

As per Gendry's instruction, Arya, Jorelle and fourteen others got into the van and then traveled for the next four hours to the town of Harrenhal, making a few stops for potty breaks.

They arrived in Harrenhal at around noon and checked in to their rooms in the _Hundred Hearths Hotel_ before eating lunch at the nearest _CARNEval_, which happened to be two blocks from the hotel.

Gendry Baratheon, and another plumpy guy with short, curly hair, came to sit with Arya and Jorelle on their table.

While they were grilling the meat cuts they ordered on the stovetop on the table, Jorelle excused herself to use the powder room.

"So, what made a Stark like you go to this seminar?" Gendry asked from across the table.

"CPD credits," She replied. "And also for the experience."

"Everyone is here for CPD credits," He said. "I have to agree with that."

"What about you?" Arya asked. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Gendry repeated as he flipped the meat cuts on the grill with the tongs. "Well, I was sent by my Uncle Renly to go to the seminar with our Northern employees, also to get to know them better and of course, CPD credits." He answered.

"But why aren't there guards and assistants following you around? You're the president's son." She pointed out.

Gendry shrugged. "I don't live in the Red Keep anymore." He explained. "I moved out of there when I attended college in Storm's End in the Stormlands. As for assistants, I have one." He pointed to the plumpy guy seating next to him. Then he introduced them to each other. "Hot Pie—Arya, Arya—Hot Pie."

"Hello, Ms. Arya," Hot Pie greeted, holding two frosted cupcakes in one hand.

"Um, hi," Arya forced out a smile, before turning back to face Gendry. "Is that really his name?"

"Nope," Gendry shook his head. "But everyone calls him that because he used to help bake pies in our family mansion in Storm's End. He's the cook's son after all. It started as a joke, but it got stuck." He frowned. "What about you? You're a governor's daughter, why don't you have guards?"

"We're in the Riverlands," She reminded her. "No one will know who I am. I always keep a low profile, so I'm good. I don't announce it to every room I enter, unlike your brother. No offense."

"None taken," He said. "I'm not proud of how he treats other people too. And every girlfriend he's had is…well, I think you know."

"I consider my sister a smart person," She said. "But when it comes to guys, I'd say she has terrible taste. And each guy from her long list of ex-boyfriends is worse than the last. And I'm not exaggerating."

"You're saying there's someone worse than Joffrey?" He guessed.

"Oh, yeah," She answered. "Someone _way_ worse. He snuck into our house—how he got past through the security and staff, I have no idea—and he attempted to rape my sister and shot two of my brothers with his gun."

"What?" He exclaimed. "Where is this guy now?"

"The _Wolf's Den_," Arya said as she picked up her filet mignon cut and placed it on her plate. "He's sentenced to seventy years without parole so I wouldn't worry about him. He'd probably die in prison for all I care. But if it weren't for my sister's dog, he would've succeeded."

At that point, Jorelle was seriously taking a long time in the ladies' restroom. But then Arya spotted her in another table. _What the fuck? _She thought. Jory left her with their boss and his assistant.

When Gendry asked for all their bills, Arya pulled out her VIP card and handed it to him.

"Here," She said, placing it on the table and slid it across to Gendry. "You can save money if you add this."

"Oh, no, no, it's fine," Gendry assured. "All the expenses are paid for by the company."

His assistant, Hot Pie's eye widened at the sight of it like he had just found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. "Uh, sir Gendry," He spoke up. "I think she has a point, I mean—"

"Hot Pie, we're not gonna let her pay our meals," Gendry insisted. "_Stormbreaker_ will take care of everything, okay?" He waved the company credit card before placing it into the bill holder.

"B-but, sir," Hot Pie said. "It's a VIP card."

Gendry glanced at the table where the black VIP card with a golden star in the middle settled. He turned back to her in curiosity, but before he could probably say anything, Hot Pie beat him to the question.

"How did you manage to avail a VIP card, Ms. Arya?"

Arya shrugged. "It was a gift."

"Who in seven hells gives VIP cards as gifts?" Hot Pie wondered. "Unless you own the whole food franchise."

Arya smiled and nodded. "Well, you guessed it right." She said. "It was from my Uncle Edmure—"

"Tully, right?" Gendry finished. "I remember TFC's CEO, I've met him a few years back with my Uncle Stannis and Uncle Renly when they negotiated on exporting dry goods to the Summer Isles."

"Hold on, how did you know—?"

"That you're part Tully?" Gendry interrupted. "Well, Edmure Tully referred us to your brother, Robb Stark of _Stark Industries_ in Winterfell."

Arya frowned. "Why?"

"Oh, my Uncle Renly asked your uncle on franchising a casual-dining food chain in our building. But he said that there's a _Burger Lab_ two blocks from us and suggested a coffeehouse chain instead. And then he gave us your brother's calling card."

"Holy shit, the connections thing is getting kind of creepy."

Gendry raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'll just take your offer." He took the VIP card and slipped it into the bill holder. "On behalf of _Stormbreaker Telecom_, thank you for giving us the fifty percent discount."

After lunch, they went back to the _Hundred Hearths Hotel_ to settle in. Thankfully, she was assigned with Jorelle on the eighth floor of the building. The room was half the size of her bedroom in Stark Manor. But that didn't bother her as she had slept in worse places. Even slept on a divan couch, which was super uncomfortable.

The room had two twin-sized beds, with a wardrobe, a flatscreen, even a small dining table with two chairs. The bathroom also had clean towels and bathrobes, as well as bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion, and toothbrushes and toothpaste. There was a small balcony accessed by a sliding door with a woven armchair and a side table.

Jorelle was sorting her things out from her suitcase. "Look, I know this room isn't much," She spoke up. "But we're only gonna be here for five days."

"That's not what bothered me, Jory," Arya answered she turned on the flatscreen and started to browse the channels. "You left me with your boss earlier."

"Oh, right," Jorelle looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry about that. It's just that Ed invited me to sit with them and Harald's there so—"

Arya looked away from the flatscreen and turned to her. "Harald Karstark?" She interjected. "That guy you've had a crush on since forever?"

"Not forever," Jorelle corrected. "Just since high school. And besides, you seemed to be comfortable with Mr. Baratheon."

"It's called finding common ground." She said. "But I like how he is with his employees. It's as if he was just a person spending time with his colleagues rather than a boss with his employees."

"Ooh," Jorelle sat on her bed with a smile on her face. "You like him?"

"What?" Arya frowned at her. "Why would you assume that? I just admire what he's doing. And if I'm going to build my own company, I need to be like that to my employees."

"Well, you can talk to him for more tips." Jorelle wiggled her eyebrows. "And who knows? Maybe—"

"Whoa!" Arya raised her hand. "Let me stop you right there. I know what you're going to say, and I'm telling you this now: it's not going to happen."

"And why not?"

"Do you not remember Sansa's dating history with Joffrey?" She reminded her. "If that son of a bitch isn't the president's son, he'd be serving time in jail."

"I guess," Jorelle shrugged. "Anyways, what should we do to pass the time until dinner?" She asked.

"Foodtrip or sightseeing," Arya suggested. "I'm good with any of those."

"Okay, I'll take a shower first and then we'll figure out what to do."

About ten minutes when Jorelle went into the shower, their doorbell rang.

Arya sighed in frustration. _Who is it now?_ She mentally complained as she trudged towards their hotel door and swung it open.

It turned out Gendry was on the other side of the door.

"Can I help you…sir?" She asked.

"Oh, you don't have to call me sir," Gendry assured. "_Gendry_ is fine."

Arya shrugged. "Do you need anything?"

"Oh, I told the others we could go sightseeing," He explained. "We're going to an observation deck or, more like a long walkway overlooking God's Eye Lake and the Isle of Faces. The assembly will be in the hotel lobby in thirty minutes."

"Okay, we'll be down." She confirmed.

"I'll see you later then."

Jorelle had stepped out of the shower just as Arya closed the door.

"Who was that?" Jorelle asked.

"Your boss," She answered. "He says we should be down in the lobby in thirty."

"Why?"

"Apparently, we're going sightseeing," Arya informed. "To some observation deck overlooking the God's Eye Lake and the Isle of Faces."

Jorelle clapped her hands. "Ooh, nice!" She squealed. "Are we going to the Isle of Faces?"

"I don't know, that's all he said."

The observation deck isn't actually a deck. Technically speaking, it's a wide promenade, giving a panoramic view of the God's Eye Lake. And it's about a hundred feet above sea level—or in their case, lake level—and it's about a thirty-minute drive from the hotel.

It runs along the northern perimeter of the God's Eye Lake. It stretches for a kilometer and a half from the main road, with the area being called the _Reaper's Trail_. It's called such because way back in the Age of Heroes or something, it was the only road to the God's Eye Reaper Peppers Plantation. Farmworkers would walk the road and stopped by in view of the lake—and that's when the establishments came.

The ground is covered in grass block concrete pavers and it's also surrounded by metal railings with binoculars at every few meters. And about five meters from the metal rail were wooden benches for people to sit on. It also had several restaurants—ranging from fine-dining to fast-food—lined along the stretch.

Thankfully for them, there weren't that many people. Arya's estimate was roughly around fifty people. Maybe because it's only the start of the week, but there'll probably be more people on the weekends.

Also, most of her companions complained that it was hot and humid.

"Of course, it's hot," Another one of them said. "We're not in the North anymore, you tosspot. The climate is different here."

They all had to laugh at his remark. And it was true, the climates change when you are in the different regions of Westeros.

By 3pm, they ate at _The Burger Lab_ branch there, to which Arya ordered her usual, with extra onions and bacon, of course.

Afterwards, they moved on and walked further along the _Reaper's Trail_. As they did, Arya remained in one spot. Before leaving the hotel, she had managed to grab her camera.

In the center of the God's Eye Lake, the Isle of Faces loomed. Even with the mist huddling around the tiny island, she could see the tall Weirwood trees with their white trunks and red foliage. The carved faces weren't that visible from afar, but the blood-red tree sap stains were.

As Arya climbed on some of the guard rails to take a few snaps of the lake, a voice spoke up nearly startling her. "Need more time to take it all in?"

She turned and saw Gendry standing by her.

"Seven fucking hells!" Arya exclaimed. "Do you always sneak up on people?"

"Not really, no." He admitted. "It's just…you're getting behind. The others have moved ahead. What are you doing anyway?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Obviously, I'm taking snapshots of the lake and the island. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Okay, sorry," Gendry apologized. "It's just…everywhere we walked, the lake is visible."

"I'm looking for the right angle," Arya reasoned. "I want the red leaves of the Weirwoods to look like fire in front of the rays of the sunset." She explained as she climbed up another guard rail.

Stupidly, she slipped making her yelp. But fortunately for her, Gendry was there. And he caught her just in time before she could faceplant on the pavement.

Her scream alerted the others and Jorelle was the first to get to them.

"Arya?" Jorelle asked, trying to get Arya away from Gendry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Jory," Arya assured. "There's nothing to worry about."

Jorelle narrowed her eyes at Gendry, then turned back to her. "Why did you scream then?"

"I nearly fell from the rail." Arya justified. "I would have faceplanted on the pavement." She turned to Gendry. "Thanks, by the way."

Gendry shrugged. "Don't mention it."

They went back to the hotel after sundown and ate dinner at the hotel's buffet. Other people from different regions of Westeros have already arrived, checked in on the same hotel and were eating dinner with them.

That night before going to bed Arya was sketching some of the snapshots she took from the _Reapers Trail_. It was a habit she had: take pictures of scenic views and then drawing them later in her sketchbook journal. And she always, _always_ brought a pen and a pencil with her wherever she went.

Jorelle came to sit at the foot of her bed. "Arya, can I be frank?"

Arya looked up from her sketchbook journal. "Okay, shoot."

"I think he likes you." Jorelle blurted it out.

She rolled her eyes at her friend. "Jory, let's not go there, okay?" She said. "He basically just prevented me from having a head injury."

Jorelle shrugged. "Okay, there's that, but there was also the time at the _CARNEval_ earlier." She wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"Is it wrong to strike a conversation with people on the same table as you?" She asked. "It's more awkward and rude if I just kept quiet. Also, you left me with him."

"Alright," Jorelle raised her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry about that. But if he asks you out, you'll owe me a meal from _The Burger Lab_."

Arya snorted. "That's highly unlikely." She said. "But fine, a meal from _The Burger Lab_."

Tuesday morning was mostly for registration. They were given nametags and expanded envelopes for the brochures, flyers, and samples that they will be given during the seminar. And of course, the nametags and envelopes were color-coded. For architects, it was red; as for the engineers they were: orange for civil/structural engineers, yellow for the chemical engineers, green for electrical engineers, blue for mechanical engineers, purple for electronics engineers, and brown for mining engineers.

The seminar was called _Sustainable Architecture and Engineering Project Management_ and there were about three hundred attendees from all across Westeros. And only about forty people were architects—only eight were from the North including Arya herself—the rest were engineers.

Thankfully, they weren't asked to sort themselves according to their professions so Arya got to sit next to Jorelle, who had a green envelope. At first, the seat on her right was vacant, as it was at the end of the row until a pat on her shoulder came.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" A familiar voice asked.

"Uh, no, it's not—" Arya replied. She turned to see who it was and of course, it was Gendry.

"Cool," Gendry said as he took the seat next to her, then he noticed the red envelope on her lap. "Whoa!" He exclaimed. "I didn't know you're an architect. Did you know there's only a few of you here?"

Arya nodded. "I'm aware," She then noticed the blue envelope he was holding. "Also, I didn't know you're a mechanical engineer."

Gendry made a tsk sound and smiled. "Well, touché."

Beside her, Jory nudged her. It made Arya turn to her friend only to see Jory giving her a mischievous smile.

Arya narrowed her eyes at her and kneed her, nearly dropping Jorelle's green envelope to the floor.

Jorelle caught it. "Relax, Stark," She said, giggling. "I'm just messing with you."

Gendry cleared his throat. "So, what did I miss?" He whispered.

"Not much," Arya replied. "The speaker's still preparing his stuff." She looked around for Gendry's assistant as that guy was always tailing him wherever he went. "By the way, where's Hot Pie?" She asked.

"Oh, back in our room," He said. "He's not an engineer or an architect."

Gendry had stuck around through the first day of the seminar. Arya found it odd since, obviously he was acquainted with more people, and he was quite well-known (Um, hello! He's the president of the country's son!). But still, he chose to hang-out with them—the Northerners, even though there were people from the Stormlands.

On the second and third days of the seminar, Gendry still hung out with them. Particularly with her, and besides Jorelle their other companions have noticed as well. Arya had ignored their speculations as they were especially bizarre.

Later after the third and final day of the seminar, Jorelle and her colleagues invited her to go bar crawling to which of course, Arya had turned down.

"Stark, come on," Jory persuaded as she fixed her hair in front of the mirror. "It's our last day here in Harenhal—"

"We're still gonna be here until tomorrow," Arya countered, not looking up from her sketch journal. "Technically, it's our second to the last day here in Harrenhal."

"Fine," Jorelle huffed. "It's our last _night_ here in Harrenhal. Don't you wanna put your mark on the city?"

Arya decided to mess with her. She does it all the time when people persuade her into doing something. In return, she'd ask them the most ridiculous and philosophical questions she could come up with to the point of the person who persuaded her would just get annoyed and ignore her.

"And by mark," Arya replied. "You mean like, if I puke inside a bar after drinking several shots would that be considered a mark or—?"

"Oh my gods, you're hopeless!" Jorelle complained as she grabbed her clutch bag. "I'm just gonna go."

_Works everytime_, she thought then gave Jorelle a halfhearted smile. "Have fun."

Arya continued sketching on her sketch journal even after Jorelle left with the others.

It was quiet say for the movie playing on the flatscreen that Arya had turned on for background noise. But at around 10pm, a knock came from the door.

She sighed and walked towards the door and just assumed Jory forgot her keycard and didn't even bother to look at the other person in the hallway through the door's peephole.

But as she opened the door, the other person in the hallway was someone she didn't expect to see.

"Gendry?" Arya frowned.

Gendry Baratheon was simply dressed in a plain white t-shirt that showed off his slightly thick arms, and faded jeans. He didn't look like a high official's son at all, just a normal guy in his twenties.

"Um, hi," He greeted. "I just came to check on you. You weren't with us earlier."

"So, you guys are done bar crawling?" She asked. "It's only ten."

"Oh, I just came to bring Hot Pie back," He explained. "He passed out after three shots."

"Only four?" Arya repeated. "Hmm, he's not alcohol tolerant, I see." She cleared her throat. "So, what are you really doing here?"

"Like I said, I came to check on you and—" He started to say.

"Well, I'm fine," She interjected. "And I didn't really feel like drinking, so…" She shrugged. "I don't feel like leaving a mark in this city, whether it be puke or pee."

Gendry chuckled. "That's a pretty blatant mark if you ask me." He said. "And believe me, I've seen worse when I was in college."

_Here we go,_ Arya thought. He wouldn't have come to her door at ten at night just to check on her. He wanted something. So basically, it's _Operation: Annoy-the-Persuader,_ game on.

"So, is that why you came here?" She asked. "To check on me and ask me about the worst things you've seen while bar crawling in college?"

"Well, no," He started to say. "I just—I noticed that you weren't asleep yet and—"

"Would I even answer the door if I was?"

He scratched his head and let out a soft giggle. "Obviously not, but you mentioned that it's only ten."

"It's still early," She pointed out.

"I know," He agreed. "I even consider 1am still early."

Strangely, the whole _annoy-the-persuader_ tactic clearly wasn't working on Gendry. In fact, he seemed more interested than annoyed.

Gendry cleared his throat. "Okay, um," He gulped. "I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to go to someplace…for maybe a midnight snack? And don't worry, it'll be my treat."

"So you're saying that I can't afford to buy my own food?"

"No, it's not that," He assured. "I just—I just didn't feel like going back to bar crawling and I just wanna go eat something other than food from the hotel's buffet."

Now Arya was curious on why he had spontaneously picked her as his foodtrip buddy. "Why me?" She asked.

Gendry shrugged. "Honestly, because I feel like you get me more than most of the people who came with us to Harrenhal." He said. "And I think I can learn stuff from you too."

Arya snickered. "Okay, now that you've said the things you've just said, I feel like you wanna get something off your chest and need a shoulder to cry on." She speculated, then shrugged. "I'll be it and besides I wouldn't say no to free food—not that it's the reason I agree to go but—"

"Arya," He called, smiling halfheartedly. "You agreeing to come is more than enough."

"Alright, hold on," Arya said, gesturing for him to come in. "I'm just gonna change clothes."

"It's okay," He said. "You don't have to change."

"I'm in my friggin' pj's." She reminded him. "Unless we're going through a fast food's drive-thru, then I'm not changing."

Gendry raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough." He said as he sat on one of the dining chairs. "Take your time."

Arya snorted. "I won't be long, don't worry." She assured, then picked up a t-shirt with a blood-like print of _The North Remembers_ and a pair of ripped shorts from her backpack and went straight to the bathroom to change.

After she changed, she dabbed some face powder, combed her hair with her fingers and sprayed herself with fragrance before walking out of the bathroom.

"Okay, let's go." She said, picking up her sneakers under her bed and put it on.

Gendry looked confused. He glanced at his wristwatch then back at her. "That was…fast. And in less than ten minutes," He pointed out. "That's gotta be some sort of record."

"What?" Arya raised an eyebrow. "You think I'll take an hour to get ready?" She snickered. "That I'd come out of the bathroom in a slutty dress, high heels, heavy makeup and my hair reeking of hairspray?"

"Partly, yes." He admitted.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Arya shrugged. "But that's not me. That's probably my sister—but not me. Seven fucking hells no!" She said. "And I don't usually wear shorts, but since I'm not in the North anymore, the climate is different and it's a little hotter, so I have to improvise."

"That's good to know," He said, slowly smiling.

"Now, let's go," Arya grabbed her phone from her bed and took the keycard. "Oh, also, I may be skinny and tiny, but I can eat a truck supply of food when I'm hungry. And if you don't believe me, you can ask my brothers."

Gendry chuckled. "Well, then, let's get going." He said as he stepped out of the room. "Our food awaits us."

"Where are we going?" She asked as they rode the elevator to the lobby.

"The _Hunter's Market_ in the downtown area," Gendry said. "It's basically a flea market and a food park at the same time."

"Ooh, now we're talking," Arya commented.

Gendry led her to the parking lot, which was where his car was probably parked.

"I thought you rode the van with us to Harrenhal," She spoke up. "How is your car here?"

"I came to Harrenhal first before hiring a van to pick all of you up in Moat Cailin." He explained.

When Arya saw Gendry's car, she gasped in astonishment.

"Whoa!" She said as her jaw dropped. "A Lambo Aventador with the scissor doors? Holy shit!"

It was a matte black Lamborghini Aventador. She knew just by looking at it.

Gendry gave her a puzzled look. "You know cars?"

Arya shrugged. "Not really," She replied. "But my brother Robb has the exact same car, except it's grey. And it's fucking expensive."

"I didn't buy it," He said as he deactivated the car alarm. "It was a gift from my Uncle Renly. I couldn't afford this even with a year of my salary combined."

The Lambo Aventor's scissor door amazes her everytime. As she sat on the shotgun, she noticed that Gendry had installed several techie stuff like dash and rear cams, cup and phone holders, and blue interior LED lights.

"You've done stuff in here, I see," She noticed. "But aren't the lights a bit distracting?"

"Not really," He answered as he started the car. "I just installed lights under the dash enough for me to see which pedals I'm stepping on to. Putting it around the interior _can_ be distracting."

"What else did you put in here?"

"Most of the stuff I installed are for anti-theft," Gendry explained as he tapped on the GPS before navigating the streets of Harrenhal. "I installed an electronic tracking system for extra security. The GPS can be disabled, you know, so it's more of an extra protection." He explained. "You will be able to locate your car anywhere in the world through an app on your phone—it's one of the things we've developed in _Stormbreaker_. And I've also upgraded the sensors on the night vision dash and rear cams and its resolutions as well."

"I like the app in the phone thing," Arya said. "Maybe I should get that. Did you do all the installing by yourself?" She asked.

"Hey, I'm not a Mechanical Engineer for nothing." He winked at her.

The _Hunter's Market_ is exactly how Gendry described, a flea market and a food park all shuffled into one. It's a bit disorienting but thankfully they separated the dry goods and the food stalls—and apparently, it has a 4.6-star review on the internet.

They went to the food stalls where they grabbed platefuls of food. Gendry has two large paper plates of food, while Arya had three and that's excluding the dessert and the beverages to wash it all down.

As they sat down and started munching on their food, Arya spoke up and asked the question she'd been wanting to ask him. "So, now that we're here, maybe you can get the weights off your chest."

Gendry stared at her. "What?"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Baratheon," She said. "I've dealt with people who are far better at hiding their problems than you."

He frowned at her, looking very surprised. "But—how did you—?"

Arya shook her head. "I don't have to," She said. "The expression on your face says it all."

Gendry was still staring blankly at her.

"I was in few activist groups in college," She informed. "So the whole _letting-it-all-out_ and _saying-what-you-really-feel_ are normal. Think of it this way: we're just playing a game of _Truth or Dare_, except there's no dare just truths. Basically, we ask each other a question and it's expected that we tell the truth. And if I catch you lying, I'll throw a meatball at you."

"Okay, that's a bit…too far." He pointed out.

Arya took her plastic fork and stick its end in a meatball on one of her plates. "Try me." She dared.

"Alright, shoot." He said.

"Question number one: Hmm, so what's been bothering you lately?"

Gendry took a deep breath. "I can't give you a straight answer to that," He admitted. "Mostly, it's just frustration—my entire family is so dysfunctional. And pressure—I have to live up to the family name."

"The Baratheons aren't dysfunctional, the Lannisters are." She corrected.

"Maybe, but it's a lot more than that." He continued.

"Question two: Have you always been close to your Uncle Renly?"

He knitted her eyebrows at her. "Hey, you're already asking two—"

"Well, ask each other two questions before switching." She insisted. "Now, answer the fucking question."

Gendry nodded. "Yeah, I am," He admitted. "My Uncle Renly is more of a father to me than my actual Dad, even though he's gay. My Dad's too busy running the country. My stepmom isn't any better. It's like my Dad's under her spell or something. And she calls me a _bastard_—behind my Dad's back, of course. I never knew my Mom, she died after giving birth to me and she died before my Dad could marry her so…" He shrugged.

"Cersei is a fucking heartless bitch!" Arya pointed out. "I never liked her at all. The look she always gives me, I will never understand. And don't get me started on your brother. Trust me, until now I'm still wondering what Sansa saw in him. He's a sadist like his bitch mother."

Gendry chuckled. "That's…appropriate."

"I'm not saying that to make you feel better," She said. "It's the truth."

He cleared his throat. "Okay, my turn. Question one: What are your family frustrations, Arya?"

Arya huffed. "That I always, _always_ get compared to my sister." She blurted out. "And I hate it when people do that. They'll be like, _oh, why can't you be more like your sister?_, and I'll reply with, _that line is so original_. I mean, we are polar opposites both in personality and physical appearance. Sansa's way on top of the social pyramid, and I'm in the shaft. She's Ms. popular, Ms. Prim and Proper, cheerleading captain, top of her class, _magna cum laude_—I can never top that. And the worse part: I often hear the comparison from my Mom."

"Question two: Were you ever close to your parents?" He asked.

"To my Dad, yes." Arya smirked. "I'm a Daddy's girl. But I was never close to my Mom though."

"Why?"

Arya glared at him. "What the fuck? That's a third question."

"That's a follow-up to the second question." He insisted. "You should add details, you know."

"Fine, I didn't know at first," She recalled. "But it became clear when a friend who was a psychology major then, explained it to me. It's because of me and my siblings' birth orders. Robb was firstborn, so basically everyone was cooing at him; Sansa was the first princess in the family; and then there's me. But I was barely a year old when my younger brother, Bran was born so, it's safe to say all of my Mom's attention went to him—because he was the new baby in the family. And then Rickon came along four years after Bran. So, while my Mom was focused on Bran, I was often told to go to my Dad and we became close. And sometimes, he tolerates all the parkour stuff I do."

"But I thought there were seven of you in the family."

Arya narrowed her eyes at him. "That's another question."

"It wasn't a question." He insisted. "I just remembered that there were seven of you."

"The other two," She started. "One is our cousin, Jon. He's my Dad's sister's son. My aunt died when Jon was a baby and he was adopted into the family. And Theon is our foster brother. He came to us when he was ten. And both of them are of the same age as Robb, and they're all twenty-five now. Which brings me to question three: how old are you?" She asked.

Gendry shrugged. "I'm twenty-five." He replied. "But you know, I'm more interested in how your brother became CEO at twenty-five."

"Twenty-three, actually." Arya corrected, as she finished off her lamb chops. "But it wasn't that easy. My Dad didn't just hand him the position, he placed Robb everywhere just to make him experience what other employees are going through and how everything in the company works." She sighed. "Anyways, what's your actual job in _Stormbreaker Telecom_?"

"I don't work there, actually," He said. "I'm in _Baratheon Corp_. with my Uncle Renly. He just assigned me to accompany some of our employees from _Stormbreaker Telecom_ to attend the seminar, with transportation and lodging expenses on the company."

Arya looked confused. "So, _Baratheon Corp._ is—?"

"It's like the main company owned by the Baratheon family," He explained. "_Stormbreaker Telecom _is one of its subsidiaries. Along with —the e-commerce company and it's where my Uncle Stannis is focused on running; and _Stormbreaker Tech_—where I will be working soon."

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed. "So, what position are we talking about here?"

"CEO, hopefully." He blurted out.

Arya dropped her last lamb chop back to her paper plate as she stared at him in shock. "No fucking way!" She snickered. "So, I'm talking to the future CEO of _Stormbreaker Tech_?"

Gendry only shrugged. "Okay, let's not dwell on that. And that's enough about me. Also, you had continuously broken your _two questions at a time_ rule."

She raised her hands in surrender. "Oh, fuck it."

"Let's talk about you, then." He said as he chugged on some fries. "So, Architect Stark, any projects you're working on?"

Arya shook her head. "I'm not working on anything."

"What do you mean?" He speculated. "Weren't you at least freelancing?"

"No, I'm not," She confirmed.

"Well, what have you been doing?"

"If you're implying that I'm just lazying around, you're wrong." She snapped. "I have big plans, but they were just stalled at the moment."

"What plans?"

"I'm planning on creating a company with my brother that focuses on architectural designs and construction." Arya blurted out.

Gendry whistled. "Honestly, the construction industry gains big money, no contest." He proclaimed. "But why are those plans stalled?" He asked.

"Because I'm waiting for my brother to pass the boards." She said. "He had just graduated last week from the _University of White Harbor_."

"Why do you have to wait for him?" He asked. "You're an architect, doesn't your profession just hire associates?"

"Yes, but Bran's a structural engineering graduate." She insisted. "That way, I don't have to hire an associate, we'll be business partners. On every project, we'll both gain something. I design stuff and he'll make sure it's buildable."

"Damn!" Gendry said, slowly clapping his hands. "It's a win-win situation. But aren't you guys real estate developers?" He snapped his fingers and made a face. "I forgot the name of your company."

"It's _Alpha & Luna Properties_," Arya said. "Named after leaders of a wolfpack. Why? I have no idea. Anyways, we're merely developers, not actual builders. We do the negotiating, surveying land to build on and find a contractor with the right bid—thus, making us part owners on whatever structure is built."

"So are you guys doing residential, commercial, industrial or—?"

"Mostly, residential and commercial," She explained. "Socialized, economic and low-cost housing, retirement homes, hotels, condominiums, resorts, mini-malls, etc."

"Are there some in Storm's End that I know of?" He asked.

"Several," She confirmed. "The most recognized one is named after a gem in the uptown district."

Gendry thought for a moment. "Oh, the _Sapphire_ _Spike_." He nodded. "It's a condominium hotel."

Arya cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at him. "Anyways, future CEO of _Stormbreaker Tech_, you do specialize in SMART building designs, right?" She asked. "And are open to ideas?"

Gendry smiled. "So you're saying we might have joint ventures in the future?"

She shrugged. "There's a possibility, but I'm not promising anything."

He nodded. "Nice," He took his can of soda and held it high. "To future endeavors!"

"Cheers!" She said, clanking her can of soda to his before drinking from it.

"By the way, Arya," Gendry said, going back to his plates. "Thanks for the whole _truths_ thing. It made me feel a little better."

"Oh, we are not done yet, Baratheon." Arya insisted.

Gendry frowned. "When are we gonna be done with that?"

"Until we clean our plates."

He snorted. "Game on."

"Now, let's ask the most random question and we'll both answer it and explain why."

"I'll start," Gendry cleared his throat. "Favorite color?"

"Green, because it's calming." She revealed. "And yours?"

"Blue, probably because the straits of Tarth were visible from my bedroom window in Storm's End."

"My turn," Arya said. "If you were to visit one place where will it be?"

"Places," He corrected. "I wanna tour around Westeros, to regions I haven't been and see landmarks. You?"

"Braavos," She said. "I wanna see the titan fortress on the straits."

They went on with it. They started with basics from favorite food, genre of music, drinks, to deeper questions like guilty pleasures, biggest turn-offs, etc. And Arya had discovered a lot of things she didn't expect for someone like Gendry to either like or hate.

"Now, I feel like taking shots." Gendry declared right after finishing their food. "You game?"

"The others are still bar-crawling, right?" Arya remembered. "We can catch up to wherever they are now." She pulled out her phone. "Hold on, let me call Jory."

Arya browse her contacts for Jory's name then placed her phone near her ear and waited.

The phone rang two more times before Jorelle finally answered. _"Hey, Stark,"_ She said from the other line. _"Did you change your mind about passing?"_ She asked, obviously yelling from the loud background music.

"Where are you?"

_"In this nightclub called _Widow's Tower_,"_ Jorelle might've told her the address but the background music was too loud for Arya to make out what she said. _"It's kinda hard to miss. It's a large red building littered with neon lights."_

"Okay, we'll see you there."

_"Wait, wait, wait!"_ Jorelle screamed. "Who is _we_?"

"Oh, um, Gendry's with me."

_"Oh my gods! How in seven hells are you with him?"_ She demanded.

"It's kind of a long story."

_"You've got some explaining to do, Stark!"_ Jorelle squealed. _"In the meantime, hurry up! We'll wait for you before moving on to another."_

Arya hung up before placed her phone back to her pocket.

"So," Gendry spoke up. "Where are they?" He asked.

"Some nightclub called _Widow's Tower_," Arya informed. "She might've told me the address but the music there was too loud."

"Okay, then," Gendry stood from his seat. "We'll just use the car's GPS to find it."

As they walked towards the parking lot, Gendry surprised her with a question. "Hey, Arya, have you ever driven a Lambo?"

"No," She admitted. "Robb doesn't trust me with his car."

Gendry threw her his keys. "Here, you take the wheel."

Arya caught the keys. "Whoa, dude!" She said in surprise. "You can't be serious. You barely know me."

"You're Arya Stark," He said. "An architect, who's favorite color is green and eats anything edible. Yep, I know you. You _can_ drive, right?"

"Of course," She said, matter of factly. "I'd learn to drive since I was fifteen. My Dad had taught me and we'd go around the grounds to practice back then. But this is different, this—" She gestured to the car. "—is a fucking Lamborghini causing millions of gold dragons."

"And I trust you enough to not scratch it."

Arya slowly smiled. "Well, then," She said as she opened the car door on the driver's seat. "Hop on."

They got into the car, but this time, Arya was on the wheel while Gendry was on the shotgun.

Gendry found the _Widow's Tower _in his car's GPS and Arya navigated the streets as she followed the route.

On the road, during a red light, they encountered some people doing illegal drag racing. A lot of people were there as well, cheering.

"What the fuck?" Arya said in distaste.

"Probably college kids," Gendry assumed. "I bet half of them are intoxicated."

"Why am I not surprised?" She replied.

Suddenly, they heard police sirens wailing and everyone scrambled. Sure enough, police cars arrived at the scene, blocking every street at the intersection. One of the police cars blocked the path of one of the two cars up for drag racing, while the other car, a neon yellow Maserati, tried to get out of the mess nearly hitting some of the police on the road.

Arya saw that the car was trying to get away through the sidewalk and well, she might, at least, try to stop it, especially since there were several people on the sidewalk—either pedestrians or homeless people.

"Gendry," Arya spoke up. "I am so sorry." She apologized before putting her foot on the accelerator.

"Arya, what—?" He started to say.

Arya turned right, blocking the sidewalk and the only possible escape route.

Sure enough, the illegal drag racer slammed onto the Lambo's left side. And yes, there was an obvious dent going inwards.

She got a little bit dizzy that she didn't notice Gendry removing her seatbelt and slowly pulling her out of the car through the shotgun door.

"Arya, are you okay?" He asked as he helped her out.

"I'm sorry about your car." She apologized again.

"Who the fuck cares about the car?" He snapped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She assured, then she turned to the people on the sidewalk who had started to gather.

The cops had already pulled out the driver from the yellow car, who had a gash on his forehead, before being handcuffed.

One of the police officers approached them, a tall and thin man with a mop of brown hair. "Hello, Officer Bonifer Hasty," He introduced himself. "Is this your car?" He asked, pointing at the dented Lamborghini.

"Uh, yes, sir," Gendry replied.

Officer Hasty smiled. "Well, lad," He said. "The _Harrenhal Police Department_ would like to offer you our sincerest gratitude. Not only did you help us catch these guys—" He pointed to the driver of the neon yellow Maserati. "—we've been after them for weeks—but you saved innocent bystanders as well."

Arya glanced back at Gendry, and he was smiling at her.

Gendry was about to speak up, but Officer Hasty interrupted him. "Oh, don't worry about your car, young man. We'll have it fixed in no time, for your part in capturing these drunken college kids." He held his mouth close to his shoulder mic. "Hoat, get me a tow."

"Really?" Arya somehow found her voice again. "You'll fix it?"

"Of course, young lady," Hasty replied. "Anyways, if it's okay, we'd like to invite you to the station for your statements."

"Sure, officer," Gendry replied.

Hasty escorted them to a police car and they went for the backseats.

In the car, Arya clutched Gendry's arm. "Gendry, I'm so, very sorry, okay?" She apologized again.

"Arya, how many times do I have to tell you," Gendry replied. "It's fine. My car will be fixed, we unintentionally helped cops capture illegal drag racers, saved everyone on the sidewalk and we're both okay. That's what matters." He assured.

"It's so weird that you're taking this lightly, you know." She pointed out. "I literally crashed your car."

"It's a car, those things can be fixed."

"But still—"

"Arya, you saved several people from being injured," He brought up. "Stop being so hard on yourself. It's fine, and I mean it."

They could hear the police car's driver door close as Officer Bonifer Hasty started the engines. "You and your girlfriend okay back there?" He asked.

"Yes, I mean, no," Gendry faltered. "I mean, yes, we're okay. And no, she's not my girlfriend."

In the police station, most of the people there were baffled at recognizing Gendry Baratheon a.k.a. the president's son, to which he pleaded not to publicize.

And thank the gods, they agreed. If it comes out, Arya would've never be allowed to go out with friends again. Like, ever. They got checked medically and if they are intoxicated before they were allowed to carry out their statements.

Afterwards, Gendry stayed inside to discuss things about his car and Arya was waiting for him outside the station.

Arya pulled out her phone and saw 17 missed calls and a single text message from Jorelle. She opened the message and it said:

_Jory M.; 01:34_

_Hey, where tf are you? We're moving to a different nightclub across the street. Call me whenever you can._

And she did. After a few rings, Jorelle finally answered.

_"Stark, what the fuck?" _She complained. _"We've been waiting for you for two hours. Where are you?"_

_"I'm sorry, okay?"_ Arya said. _"There has been a few…complications."_

_"Oh my gods!"_ Jory exclaimed. _"Don't tell me. You went into a motel and had sex, right?"_

"What the fuck? Of course, not!" She snapped back. "Jeez, Mormont, you're way over your head." She sighed. "I sort of, crashed his car and we're in the police station right now."

_"Holy shitballs, Stark,"_ Jorelle sighed. _"Are you guys okay?"_

_"We're fine,"_ She assured. _"And we'll be there as soon as Gendry's done talking to the cops."_

_"Okay, we're heading across the street to the _Kingspyre Night Club_,"_ Jorelled informed. _" Just hurry up, will you?"_

"We'll see you there." Arya promised.

Just as she hung up, Arya was surprised to see a man standing before her. And it's like he came out of nowhere.

The man had an unusual appearance. His face was friendly enough, but he had long, shiny hair draping down his shoulders—with one side of it being auburn and the other being white. And his clothes were the same from that of a monk, a cowled robe held together on his waist by a rope—a literal rope. And like his hair, it was split into two colors as well, with black on the right side and white on the left.

"Um, can I help you, sir?" She asked.

"Little lady," The man said in a soothing voice. "This man has the honor to be called Jaqen H'gar."

"Arya Stark," She introduced herself. "So, um, can I help you?"She asked again.

"You saved my life and others on the sidewalk." Jaqen H'gar pointed out. "And for that, a man is in your debt."

"Oh, it's nothing." Arya shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The man, Jaqen, leaned in closer to her, taking a step backwards. "Where I'm from, debts are always paid back."

Arya sighed. "Look, sir, it's fine. I'm fine, you don't have to pay me for saving your life."

Then he started talking weirdly like he was referring to himself in the third person.

"Life," Jaqen repeated. "Lives, you saved. Lives, a man shall take for you. Just speak names and a man will do the rest."

"Wait, what?" She shrieked. "No, no, no. No one is taking anyone's life, okay? Let's make that clear." She sighed in frustration. "Just do yourself a favor, forget this ever happened and get on with your life."

"Favor, yes." Jaqen smiled. "A favor will do. A man must do something for the little lady in return."

Arya hesitated. "What sort of favor are we talking about?" She asked.

"Any favor." He assured. "Just ask and a man will do the rest."

For this man's peace of mind, Arya decided to bargain. She was quiet for a while as she was thinking, but couldn't think of any favors she could tell him. "So, do you need to know my favor now or…?" She faltered.

"No, no, it is the little lady's call," He answered. "At the moment, apparently not. When the little lady had already thought of a favor, she can find the man for his debt. By then, we must part. A man has other duties as well."

"But how will I find you?" She asked.

Jaqen H'gar rummaged through his robes and fished out something. It was a coin. But it wasn't anything she'd recognize. And it's definitely not of the Westerosi currency.

Jaqen handed it to her. "Here."

"What is it?" She asked.

"A coin of great value." He informed.

The coin was made of iron and it looked and felt old. One side showed a man's head wearing a hood, and it was so worn that his features had been rubbed off. On the other side, had the words, _valar morghulis_ _| valar dohaeris_ imprinted on the circumference of the coin.

"If the day comes when you must find me again," Jaqen continued. "Just give that coin to any man from Braavos and say these words, _Valar Morghulis_."

"All men must die?" She translated.

"Ah, the little lady knows her Valyrian." He said. "That is good."

"But why would I say that to a stranger?"

"In time you will see."

"Arya?" She could hear Gendry's voice call from the police station.

Arya turned to him. "Oh, hey," She said. "I was just talking to—" She turned to introduce Jaqen H'gar to Gendry but he was gone. He had disappeared the same way he appeared.

She cleared her throat. "Anyways, your car—?"

"Will be fixed before we leave Harrenhal." He finished. "So, you have nothing to worry about. Also, I called my Uncle Renly. He seemed freaked out that I called at 1am, but I assured him that it will be fixed and he promised not to tell my Dad."

Arya nodded. "Oh, good." She shrugged. "So, what now? Are we still going?"

"It's your call." He said. "Where are they at?"

"The _Kingspyre Night Club_," She informed. "I have no idea where in the seven hells is that."

"Don't worry, we'll take a cab," Gendry assured.

They arrived at the _Kingspyre Night Club_ and as they went for the doors, one of the bouncers blocked her path.

"What the fuck?!" Arya complained. "I'm twenty-two."

"I'll need to see some identification, miss." The bouncer insisted.

Arya reluctantly pulled out an I.D. and showed it to the bouncer. His eyes widened when he read the contents of her I.D. and let them pass.

The music inside was playing loud and it was packed. People were either dancing on the dancefloor or drinking by the tables.

She spotted Jorelle and the rest of her colleagues at a table by the bar.

"Hey, finally!" Jorelle said when she saw them. "You guys promised to meet us hours ago."

"Sorry about that," Gendry apologized. "We sort of, got sidetracked."

"Anyways," Arya spoke up. "Did you guys open a tab?" She asked.

"Not yet, we just got seated." Jorelle responded.

"Okay, open one in my name." She suggested, taking out her credit card.

They called in a barman to open a tab, the staff asked for an I.D. and were astounded to know that they were Northerners. The barman called in the club manager and told him about it.

"You got a problem with Northerners?" One of the guys they were with asked.

"No, sir," The club manager said. "But in this club, we have a challenge for Northerners. And if you manage to complete it, all your drinks will be on the house for the rest of the night or until we close."

"Ooh, exciting." Jorelle squealed. "What do we do to get free drinks?"

The club manager gestured for the bartender and he came a minute later with a blood-red cocktail in hand before placing it on their table.

"So, one of us just has to drink that?" Arya assumed. "Isn't this way too easy?"

"Well, this isn't just any normal cocktail, miss." The manager said. "We call it, the _Ghost of High Heart_, made from Ghost peppers from High Heart."

Almost all of the others from their table look away in dismay.

"Okay, I see what you did there," Gendry said. "You're offering spicy cocktail to Northerners because a majority of them can't handle it."

"Now, that's bullshit," Arya said. "I'll drink it, then." She volunteered. "But I'm pretty sure there's another catch. What is it?"

"No chasers." The club manager revealed.

Arya shrugged. "You're on," She said, grabbing hold of the spicy cocktail.

"Arya, what are you doing?" Gendry asked.

"Relax, it's a cocktail." She assured. "It's obviously not that spicy than an actual chili pepper."

"You don't understand," Gendry argued. "They used ghost peppers and those are considered one of the spiciest peppers there is."

"Actually, it only ranks seventh on the Scoville Heat Scale," Arya informed, then cursed. "Godsdammit! Bran's stupid random facts are getting to me."

It was true. Her brother, Bran was always spouting random facts. It's educational, but at the same time, annoying.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Gendry shrugged it off. "Just…it's a risk. We're probably gonna take you to a hospital after."

"You're really underestimating me, huh?" Arya raised an eyebrow at him. "My Mom is from the Riverlands," She pointed out. "And I ate a whole God's Eye Reaper Pepper once. If I survived that, I can handle the _Ghost of High Heart_."

"Stark, are you sure you're gonna take this for the team?" Jorelle asked.

"Watch me, Mormont." Arya drank the cocktail and gulped all its contents. She then slammed the empty cocktail glass on the table. "Take that, discriminating Rivermen who says Northerners can't handle spicy stuff!"

The other people from their table cheered.

"Free drinks, baby!" Another one screamed.

For the rest of the night or morning, whichever, they got free drinks as promised.

As for the cocktail, it was really spicy, no joke. She could almost feel herself turning red and she was sweating from the heat it brought.

"Arya, are you okay?" Gendry asked.

"I'm fine," She assured. "I just maybe need to eat a whole box of ice cream later."

"Okay, so far this night had been awesome," Gendry brought up. "First, you crash my car to catch a drag racer and save pedestrians; and then you took on a spicy cocktail so everyone can have free drinks. I mean," He shrugged. "You're pretty hardcore, I'll give you that."

Arya took her fifth shot. "I told you, I'm not like other girls." At that point, she was starting to get dizzy and her visions started to blur.

"What else can you do?" He asked.

"I paint when I'm bored." She blurted out before taking another shot.

And then she blacked out.

The next thing Arya knew, she was back in her hotel room, to which she sighed gratefully. But she was baffled when she woke up in her bed next to Gendry. Thankfully, they were fully-clothed.

She sat up, unintentionally waking Gendry.

"Oh, hey," He greeted groggily. "Good morning."

"What the fuck happened?" Arya demanded. "Oh my gods, did we—?"

"No!" Gendry cried as he sat up. "Gods, no. Nothing happened, I swear. I would never disrespect girls like that. That's not me."

"What happened then?"

"Well, you passed out," He recalled. "And your roommate, Jorelle, asked me if I can take you back here, which I did. But when I was about to leave, you grabbed my hand and pleaded to not leave you alone."

"Fuck!" She cussed. "This is embarrassing, I'm so sorry."

Gendry chuckled. "Don't worry about it." He stood from the bed. "Well, you gotta pack your stuff. We're checking out at noon."

Arya checked the time on her phone. _09:31_, it read. "Oh, good," She said. "I have three hours." Then she noticed Jorelle's bed was still perfectly made and untouched. "Where the fuck is Jory?" She asked.

"I don't know," Gendry shrugged. "She never came after when I carried you back here."

Right on cue, the hotel door opened and Jorelle stepped inside—with a guy! And to her surprise, it's Harald Karstark. And they seemed to be frisky and being all touchy with each other.

Arya cleared her throat. "Good morning," She greeted.

Both Jorelle and Harald jumped back in surprise.

"Oh, hi," Jorelle replied, forcing out a smile. "Um, good morning, sir." She nodded her head at Gendry.

Harald did the same. "Good morning, sir." He turned back to Jorelle. "Jory, I better go. I'll see you later." He gave her a peck on her cheek before heading out the door.

"Well, I guess that goes the same for me," Gendry said. "I'll see you girls later."

"Oh, hey, Baratheon," Arya called out. "Do update me regarding the status of your car. I just want that problem off my chest."

"Don't worry, I'm heading to the station right after I take a shower," Gendry promised. "I'll update you before you leave for the North."

"Thanks," She said, offering him a fist bump, to which he smiled and bumped his fist against hers before leaving.

As soon as the doors closed, Arya turned to Jorelle with an eyebrow raised. "Oh, Jory," She said. "You've got some explaining to do."

Jorelle snorted as she sat down on her untouched bed. "Arya, I'm not the only one who's got some explaining to do."

"Hey, I said it first," She insisted. "You and Harald? When did that happen?" She asked.

Jorelle sighed. "Last night, mostly because I freaked out when you said you crashed Gendry's car." She explained. "I was worried sick when you never answered my calls, and Harald was really there for me. He assured me that everything would be fine. And then you drank the freakin' _Ghost of High Heart_, one thing led to the other, we made out and—"

"Oh my gods!" Arya exclaimed. "You had sex with him."

Jorelle shrugged. "You could say that."

"Oh, fuck!" She chuckled. "You just ate your words to me last night, Jory."

"Let's not go there, okay?" Jorelle said. "What about you and Gendry? How in seven hells was he here, in the same clothes he wore last night, hmm?"

Arya explained everything, from the moment she and Gendry went out to eat at the Hunter's Market, to her driving Gendry's car that she crashed to save bystanders, to giving their statements at the police station, and of course, coming to meet them. She left out her encounter about the weird monk with the half-dyed hair—it felt like she should keep that information to herself.

Before leaving Harrenhal, Gendry had pulled her aside. "I'm gonna show you something." He said.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see."

Gendry gestured to a car parked before the hotel. But it wasn't just any car, it was his car—the one she unintentionally crashed the night before.

"They fixed it," Arya said in astonishment. "They actually fixed it! Oh my gods!"

"I know," Gendry agreed. "And they fixed it fast. I mean, look at it now."

Arya inspected the car closer. She touched the car's left side—the part where it had the most damage. The dents were fixed, the black matte paint was on point and the scissor doors were as operational as they were before.

"Nice," She spoke up. "Thank the gods for the _Harrenhal Police Department_."

"Anyways, you'll go trekking with us, right?" Gendry guessed. "Up on Mount Alarra?"

"I'd love to because I've never been mountain climbing," She admitted. "But I have to ask permission from my Dad about that."

"Okay, well, I'm staying the night in Winterfell," He brought up. "I had Hot Pie book me a hotel two days ago. And I can pick you up on the way to Highpoint if you like."

"In Stark Manor?"

"Yeah," He said. "It won't be a problem. And besides, Stark Manor is easy to find."

"I guess, but if I am going, I'm probably bringing Nymeria with me for extra protection."

Gendry frowned. "Who's Nymeria?"

"My dog," She blurted out. "You probably won't want her in your car."

"Oh, no, it's fine," He assured. "I love dogs. A tiny dog won't be problem."

"That's another thing that I'm pointing out," Arya said. "Nymeria is not tiny, at all." She took her phone out from her pocket and showed him her phone's wallpaper of her hugging Nymeria. "This is her."

"Holy shit!" He cursed. "She's huge. Is it legal in the North to adopt a wolf?"

"Nymeria's not a wolf." She corrected. "She only looks like one. A Flint Husky and Skagosi Malamute mixed breed."

Gendry made a face at her. "She won't bite, right?"

Arya shook her head. "Nope," She said. "Not unless you're up to something not good. Or someone's trying to hurt me."

"I'd still take my chances," He smiled. "But I don't have a dog seatbelt. You have one, right? We can use that so Nymeria can ride in my car."

Arya frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Gendry assured. "And besides, I've wanted to see a wolf, and your dog is close enough."

"Great!" She beamed. "But I do still have to ask my Dad."

"Okay," He said, pulling out his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Here, punch your number in."

"What?" Arya raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"So that I'll know if your Dad allowed you to come trekking with us."

Arya sighed. "Fine," And she did what he asked.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Gendry waved at her, as she was getting into the van that's heading back to Moat Cailin.

Gendry had offered a ride to Winterfell, but Arya had declined. Mostly, to avoid people from talking and making up stories about them.

On the way back North, Arya never really talked to anyone that much. And Jorelle was pretty occupied chatting with Harald Karstark.

Once they arrived at Moat Cailin at around 4pm, Hullen, their chauffeur, was already there, waiting for her. Of course, her Dad was at it again. At that point, she thought Ned Stark will probably win _father of the year_ award.

It was around 4:30 when she arrived in Stark Manor in Winterfell. Before they did, Arya had asked Hullen to drive to the nearest _Knight's Pizza_ chain in the city center, because she just knew Rickon would ask her for food when she returned.

The_ Knight's Pizza_ is a chain owned by the Brackens of Stone Hedge in the Riverlands. Arya knew because their youngest daughter, Alysanne Bracken, from the main branch, was in her year during college in UWH. And also, because they get their food supplies from the Tullys in Riverrun.

Just as she entered the main doors, Nymeria jumped at her, nearly knocking her to the floor.

"I missed you too, Nym," Arya said as she scratched her neck.

Vayon, the butler, was the first person she saw inside. "Welcome back, Miss Arya." He greeted, then offered to take her bag to her room.

"Thanks, Vayon," She uttered as she handed him her bag and three of the six boxes of pizza she had bought earlier. "And also, take these pizzas. Help yourselves with it."

Whenever they'd order out food, she would always insist on buying their staff some as well. And also, it's one of the things that got Arya compared to her Aunt Lyanna, because according to Old Nan, her aunt did the same back when she was still alive.

Vayon smiled. "Thank you, Miss Arya."

"So, where's everyone?" She asked, clutching the other three boxes.

"I believe your brothers and sister are in the living room." Vayon replied, before heading up the grand staircase.

She passed the living room and saw that everyone in the family was there. Well, except their Mom, Bran and Theon.

Their Mom was probably still at work. And Theon doesn't live with them anymore, but he does visit when there are occasions. But Bran not home, since he didn't have to worry about school stuff anymore, was very unusual.

Their Dad was reading _The Northern Herald_ newspaper on his recliner. Robb and Sansa were on their tablets, and Rickon was on his phone, and all three of them were playing games on their respective gadgets.

"Oh, you're all here," Arya spoke up. "It's a miracle."

"It's labor day," Sansa reminded her. "Everyone knows it's a non-working holiday so, of course, there's no work."

"Lovely," She said without enthusiasm.

Their Dad smiled at the sight of her. "How's the seminar, Cupcake?"

"It was fine." She shrugged. "Learned a lot of new things."

Rickon dropped his phone to the couch when he saw her. "Did you bring any food?" He asked.

"Seven hells, yeah!" Arya grinned, gesturing to the boxes of pizza in her hands. "Because I knew you'd ask. And it's all pepperoni."

"Ooh!" Robb exclaimed. "Now, we're talking."

Arya placed a bottle of _God's Eye Reaper_ hot sauce on the coffee table, much to Rickon's delight. "Where's Mom?"

"At the hospital," Robb replied as he opened one box and took a slice.

"I thought it's labor day and a non-working holiday." Arya brought up.

"You know the professions in the medical field," Ned spoke up. "They have no holidays. But don't worry, your Mom will be home soon."

"Also, where's Bran?" She asked.

"In White Harbor," Rickon answered.

"Then how did you get here?"

"Bran and I came here yesterday," Rickon explained as he took another slice of pizza from the box. "But he didn't stay the night. He drove right back to White Harbor, said he was going to help the Mormonts with something. Not sure what, though."

While she was in Harrenhal, Bran had agreed to accompany Rickon to the _University of White Harbor_, so he can fix his class schedules for the next school year.

When their Mom, Catelyn finally came home, she was looking for Bran and seemed sad when she found out he wasn't home.

Right after dinner, Arya had pulled their youngest brother aside and asked about Bran. "Baby bro, what's happening?" She demanded. "Where the fuck is he?"

"I already told you, he's in White Harbor." Rickon answered.

"Is he really helping the Mormonts with something?"

"How the fuck would I know?" Rickon defended. "I didn't ask for details."

"I know Bran," Arya insisted. "If he can get home on the weekends, he will. Especially now that he's not busy with school anymore, and it's a long weekend with Labor Day."

"Look, I didn't bother asking Bran questions," Rickon recalled, then shook his head. "But I noticed something before we left for White Harbor last Monday. He seemed…angry."

"Why?"

"I don't know," He answered in exasperation. "All I remembered was before we left, Bran talked to Dad in his study. When he got out, his mood completely changed. From being _friendly-Bran_ to _I'm-pissed-I'm-going-to-murder-someone-Bran_." He sighed. "And the ride to White Harbor was uncomfortably quiet. I didn't wanna push him, because I've never seen him like that."

Arya thought for a moment. "What do you think triggered Bran?" She asked.

Rickon sighed. "Look, Arya, I'm really tired of saying this, I don't know!" He threw his hands in frustration. "If you wanna find out, you're gonna have to ask Bran about it yourself. I'm out!" He pushed past her in the hallway and walked to his room with Shaggy.

She considered asking their Dad about Bran, but she had other agendas. Arya needed to ask her father's permission on the team building trekking to Mt. Alarra.

Arya softly knocked on the door of her Dad's study.

"Come in," Her Dad answered and she went inside.

Ned Stark was sitting on his executive boss chair. He had a pen in hand, which meant he was probably signing some capitol-related paperwork.

"Daddy, do you have a minute?" She asked.

"Of course, Cupcake," He gestured to one of the chairs by his table. "Have a seat."

Before she could speak, her Dad held up his hand. "Hup-up-up," He said. "Let's get straight to the point, what do you want?"

Arya raised an eyebrow at him. "Why did you assume I wanted something?"

Ned dropped his pen. "Arya, you never come here unless you want something." He guessed. "So, what is it?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I want something," Arya corrected. "It's more of like, your permission."

"Permission to do what?"

"Well, those people I went with at the seminar," She started. "Invited me on a team-building exercise with them trekking on Mt. Alarra. And I wanna go."

"You need my permission to climb a mountain?" Ned shrieked. "Arya—"

"Daddy, please," She pleaded. "I wanna know and experience mountain climbing, at least once. This is my chance."

"Arya, what do you think your mother would say about this?"

"She'd say no instantly without bothering to hear my explanation." She declared. "But you won't, you'd let me talk and explain."

"Speaking of explanations," He interrupted. "Don't you wanna explain something that happened in Harrenhal?"

Arya looked down at her feet. "Uh," She shook her head.

Ned raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He opened a drawer from his desk, pulled out a newspaper and showed it to her. "Because that's not what it said." He said, pointing to an article he had encircled with a red marker.

The newspaper was the _Trident Sentinel_, a newspaper company owned by the Mallister family of Seagard in the Riverlands. The article wasn't the main headline, thank the gods, but it was on page two. _Illegal Drag Racers Arrested, Attempted Hit and Run Foiled by Civilians_, the heading said.

Arya didn't read the whole article as she already knew her name was in there next to Gendry's somewhere.

"I asked the staff to get me a copy," Ned pointed out. "Right after I got a call from Renly Baratheon at seven in the morning about my daughter crashing his nephew's car in Harrenhal. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Arya shrugged. "It was for a good cause." She reasoned. "And they fixed his car because we sort of, help them catch the fugitive."

"Arya, you're not getting my point." Ned said. "How can I trust you to go out on your own again if something like that happened?" He gestured to the newspaper.

"But daddy, there's like sixteen of us." She argued.

"There were sixteen of you that went to Harrenhal," Ned reminded her. "Yet that still happened." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Cupcake. But the answer is no."

"But, Daddy—"

"Arya, no buts." He insisted. "My decision is final."

Arya was quiet for a moment, then she spoke up, bringing up a topic she had since declined when her father first offered it to her.

"How about a bargain?"

"Arya—" He started to say.

"I'm not talking to you as my Dad or the governor," She insisted. "I'm talking to you as a businessman."

Ned narrowed his eyes on her. "I'm listening."

"I'll supervise the charity foundation Aunt Lyanna had left behind," She offered. "I'll do it if you allow me to go trekking."

"You already declined that responsibility," He recalled. "The _Winter Rose Foundation_ is now under Jon's leadership."

The _Winter Rose Foundation_ was a non-government organization founded by their Aunt, Lyanna Stark that focused on helping children from poverty, people who couldn't afford medical expenses, and the conservation of the environment's natural resources.

"Yeah, but he's always at Castle Black," She reminded him. "He's not supervising it, directly. Plus, people always say I look like Aunt Lyanna, might as well use that to our advantage."

"I thought you were going to focus on building your own construction company with your brother."

"Bran still has to pass the boards," She added. "So I still have three months. And I want to add categories too."

Ned raised an eyebrow at her. "Such as?"

"Animal rights?" She suggested. "It works because, well, I have Nymeria and we can help animal pounds with adoptions or conservations. And also, maybe after we establish our construction company, we can do community developments—housing for people in need of decent homes."

Ned slowly smiled. "Cupcake, you may be onto something." He paused, then cleared his throat. "Alright, I'll call Jon and discuss it."

"Wait, so, you mean, you agree?" She asked.

Ned nodded.

Arya screamed in delight. "Thank you, Daddy." She ran to his side and gave her father a peck on his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"But," He spoke up. "After you go trekking, I'm taking away your credit cards."

"What?" She made a face at him. "Daddy, I'm not a big spender, and I don't go shopping like Sansa."

"Your sister is an accountant, she knows how money works." He pointed out. "But you don't." He sighed. "You don't go directly to the top, you start climbing from the bottom _to_ the top. You may remember that Robb didn't become CEO right away, right?"

"Yes."

"Consider this your training ground, Cupcake," Ned said. "And if you can run the _Winter Rose Foundation_ on Jon's behalf, I will have no problems with you running your own company."

"I guess," Arya shrugged, then sighed. "Ugh, fine. But thanks again, Daddy. Also, I'm bringing Nymeria with me."

"Alright," He agreed. "So, Mount Alarra, huh? I'm guessing you're going to Highpoint. Do you need a ride to get there? What time are you leaving?" He asked.

"I'm not sure yet about the time," She admitted. "But I'm pretty sure, we'll leave in the morning. I still have to clarify the time though. And they had offered to pick me up, so transportation is not a problem."

After Arya bargained with her Dad, she had informed Gendry through text that she was coming with them while walking back to her room.

He called her in return immediately.

"What?" She answered.

_"Arya, hey,"_ Gendry greeted from the other line. _"So, you made your Dad say yes, huh? You _are_ good."_

"It's a long story," She replied. "And don't ask how."

_"Okay, then,"_ Gendry said. _"Anyways, we'll pick you up at seven in the morning—"_

"We?" She asked.

_"Hot Pie's with me."_ He explained. _"And we're—where are we?"_

_ "Pinewoods Hotel,"_ She could hear Hot Pie's voice. _"In the Uptown District."_

Her eyes widened. "Oh my gods, you're really in Winterfell?" She asked. "I thought you were kidding."

_"I told you earlier, didn't I?"_ He reminded her. _"Oh, also, I found Stark Manor on google maps. It's only then I realized you're not far from the _Wolf Pines National Park_."_

"Yeah, it's literally right over our fence." She informed.

_"Oh, cool!"_ Gendry exclaimed.

"Okay, Baratheon," Arya interjected. "I need to sleep. Good night."

_"See you tomorrow."_ He said before Arya hung up.

That night, she had also tried calling Bran, hoping to get some answers on the things Rickon had told her earlier. But he never answered, and it was like he turned off his phone—which had never happened before.

Arya had packed trekking essentials before going to sleep that night. She had a tent, a sleeping bag, the Swiss army knife Jon had given her, a flashlight with extra batteries, a small first aid kit, a lighter, food and water (of course), and extra clothes. For Nymeria, she packed a small double bowl feeder that can store food and water at the same time, dog food she had placed in Ziploc bags for Nymeria's meals.

The following morning, she woke up earlier than she usually does and got ready. She got her stuff down on the foyer and strapped Nymeria with her harness leash before going to the dining hall for breakfast.

Her parents and her older brother and sister were there, all dressed up and ready for work on a Saturday. Rickon was obviously still snoring away, as on the normal weekends he'd usually wake up at noon, just in time for lunch.

As she walked past Robb to her seat, he looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you all dressed up like you're going for a hike?" He asked.

"I am," She replied smugly as she got food for herself.

Sansa turned to their parents. "You allowed this to happen?" She demanded.

"I never agreed to it," Their Mom, Catelyn spoke up. "It was your father's decision."

"Just leave your sister be," Ned said.

"It's not fair!" Sansa complained. "How am I not allowed to go do that?"

"Because you're freakin' high maintenance, that's why!" Arya snapped. "You'd probably freak out if your hair turns into a hairsicle. And I don't have psychotic, stalker ex-boyfriends who are after me."

"Arya," Ned interrupted. "Let's not go there again." He warned.

"On the contrary, baby sis," Robb said, obviously trying to ease the rising tension. "You better take some badass pictures."

Arya snorted. "Of course, big bro."

Suddenly in the middle of eating breakfast, Jory Cassel, their head of security came bursting into the dining hall and whispered something in their father's ear.

Whatever the news was, it made Ned Stark frown. "Arya," He called. "The guards said there's a guy, driving a Lamborghini at the gates, looking for you."

"What?" Robb and Sansa exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh, if it's Gendry Baratheon, let him in," Arya assured. "He's the one picking me up."

Ned nodded, prompting Jory to talk to someone on his earpiece. "Let them in."

"Oh, and Jory," Arya called. "I need help with my stuff, please. It's all in the foyer."

"Of course, Miss Arya." Jory obliged, then disappeared into the hallway.

"Thank you." She said as she hurriedly finished her breakfast.

Robb turned to her curiously. "I didn't know you were friends with Gendry Baratheon."

"What in seven hells are you doing with Joffrey's brother?" Sansa demanded. "When did you even start hanging out?"

"In Harrenhal," Arya blurted out as she stood from her seat. "And before you ask your questions: no, he didn't ask me out; no, I didn't sleep with him; and we all went out as a group together _after_ the last day of the seminar." She explained. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Jorelle Mormont."

She waved everyone goodbye before calling out to Nymeria, who was eating out of her bowl in the kitchen and clipped the leash onto her harness.

Arya headed to the foyer to see their front door open and saw Jory Cassel carrying her stuff to Gendry's car's trunk with Hot Pie's help.

A soft pat on her shoulder startled her. "Do you have everything you need, Cupcake?" Her father's voice followed.

She turned to her Dad. "Yes, Daddy," Then she frowned, as she swung her white parka jacket over her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to meet Gendry," Ned replied. "Haven't seen him in years since he went to live in Storm's End."

Outside, their cars were parked out front as usual. Robb's grey Lamborghini Aventador, Sansa's rose gold Lexus ES 350, their Mom's white Volvo and their black Mercedes-Benz family SUV—which their Dad used to get to places. It's like a car show, basically.

Gendry was dressed in his usual plain white t-shirt, trousers, and hiking boots. Hot Pie, however, had a jacket and a beanie on his head.

"Gendry, it's been a long time," Ned greeted.

Gendry turned and his eyes widened. "Mr. Stark, good morning."

"Well, I have to say it," Ned said. "You look like your Dad when he was your age."

Gendry snorted. "It's not the first time I've heard that, believe me."

"That makes two of us." She muttered.

Ned cleared his throat. "Anyways, I would like to personally apologize," He said. "In my daughter's behalf for crashing your car."

Gendry looked surprised and turned to her.

"It's on the news," She informed. "And the papers. So technically, I have no excuse."

"Actually, sir," Gendry said turning back to Ned. "If Arya hadn't done that, there may have been casualties that night. She technically saved pedestrians."

_Yes,_ Arya thought. _And some weird-looking monk who offered her a favor and an iron coin._

"And," Gendry continued. "Because we helped catch a fugitive, the _Harrenhal Police Department_ agreed to fix the car."

Ned stared at her intently, like he knew someone who did a similar thing.

"Uh, anyways," Arya spoke up. "We have to go." She kissed her father on his cheek. "Bye, Daddy."

Ned regained his composure and smiled. "Alright, you kids have fun." He said, before walking back to the porch.

Arya handed Gendry the dog seatbelt and he started to attach it to the backseat.

"Okay," Gendry pulled out his head from the car. "It's set."

"Oh, by the way," Arya said as gently patted her dog's head. "This is Nymeria."

"Holy crap," Gendry exclaimed. "I underestimated her size."

"Uh," Hot Pie spoke up. "Does it bite?"

"Not unless you piss me off."

Hot Pie turned pale.

Arya chuckled. "I'm kidding." She said. "She doesn't _really_ bite. And if she does, it's because she's defending me or a friend."

Gendry bent down and reached out his hand. "Hello, Nymeria,"

Nymeria sniffed Gendry's hand. Then she licked it and started wagging her tail.

"Aww, she likes you already." Arya noticed. "Consider yourself lucky, Baratheon. It's rare when she does that."

Gendry had then scratched Nymeria's neck. "Aww, you know for a huge dog," He said, still caressing her furs. "You're so adorable."

"How about you fasten her seatbelt on her already," She suggested. "So we can leave."

"Right," Gendry said, patting the back seat. "Come on, girl."

Surprisingly, Nymeria listened to him and jumped onto the backseat. Gendry had then strapped her to the seat.

Arya had then got into the car and sat next to Nymeria.

"What are you doing there, Miss Arya?" Hot Pie asked. "Your seat is on the shotgun."

"If I sit there," Arya responded. "You'd be stuck on the backseat with Nymeria for the rest of the ride to Highpoint. And I'm pretty sure you'll be at the edge of your seat the whole time."

In the end, Gendry was on the wheel, Hot Pie was on the shotgun, and Arya was at the back with Nymeria.

"So next stop, Highpoint." Gendry announced.

"You did bring extra jackets, right?" Arya asked.

"I don't need one," Gendry insisted. "I'm enjoying the summer breeze."

"I already have one," Hot Pie pointed out. "I didn't know it was this cold up here."

"Guys, we're only in Winterfell," She brought up. "Highpoint is the coldest city in the North. And its normal temperatures range from fifteen degrees Celsius to zero."

"Whoa," Gendry said in amazement. "That's cool, literally."

"That's only in the summer," She said. "Winters are the worst. The lowest recorded temp was minus sixty-seven degrees Celsius—that's why they don't allow trekking in the winter. And since we're going trekking up, temperatures will continue to drop, even in the summer. So, I suggest you buy a jacket if you don't want to meet a friend named Hypothermia."

On her insistence, both Gendry and Hot Pie each bought jackets (Yep, Hot Pie bought another one) in the nearest clothing store before taking the road to Highpoint.

"Alright," Gendry said. "Brace yourselves, it's gonna be a two-hour drive to Highpoint."

"What?" Arya shrieked. "Which route are we taking?"

"The Wolfswood Drive, and then—"

"Fuck, it'll take forever to get there." She complained. "First, you'll have to worry about traffic congestion because there might be a deer or a wild animal in the middle of the highway, and then you'd still pass the town of Ironrath, before getting to Highpoint."

"So what?" Gendry shrugged. "We don't have a choice unless you know another route that's faster."

Arya leaned in forward and pressed a button on Gendry's GPS for an alternative route to Highpoint from Winterfell. "There you go." She said. "It's only an hour drive from here. And southrons like you won't care about it, because you'll probably make a stop in Ironrath."

"Oh, wow," Gendry gasped. "Even the GPS in cars are programmed with marketing strategies. I didn't know that."

"Well, you're lucky there's a Northerner in your car." She said. "Anyways, officially, it's called _Rickard's Road_—after my grandfather because he was the one who had it built. But locals called it the _Howling Road_ because you'll often hear wolves howling, especially at night. Also, it's the only road going through the _Wolf Pines National Park_."

As they drove through the _Howling Road_, Gendry, being his stubborn self, decided to keep the driver's seat window open because he wanted to hear wolves howling.

They definitely heard wolves howling. But forgetting the fact that Nymeria was in the car with them, was a completely wrong decision. Nymeria started howling as soon as they started hearing howls halfway through the drive and she only stopped when Arya insisted on closing the driver's window.

The entrance to Highpoint from the Howling Road had a massive wolf's head carved on into part of its granite face of the hill. The wolf's head was a monument to Arya's grandfather, Rickard Stark, who was killed in a bombing in King's Landing long before she was born.

The others were already there when they arrived. As it turned out, all the others stayed in Moat Cailin for a night before travelling to Highpoint.

Gendry held the list of activities that they were going to do on their overnight team-building exercises informed the others on what to do. And since there were eighteen of them, _Stormbreaker_ had hired two guides for the hike with them being split into two groups.

Before trekking, the guides gave them a brief orientation on Mount Alarra. The first group went ahead, while the second group only started trekking when the first group disappeared into the morning mist. They were purposely separated to avoid disorientation and confusion due to their large number.

Arya was with Gendry, Hot Pie, Jorelle Mormont, Harald Karstark, and four others, plus their guide. Nymeria stayed close to her, thankfully, not leaving her side to go ahead and explore.

The guide said that the hike is around three hours from the base at Highpoint to the peak. It's basically cheating because the city of Highpoint is already on top of a hill (which they had already achieved by car transportation), so they only have to hike a few more hundred meters to the peak.

They also started trekking at eight in the morning, which is not usually applicable in the south since the sun is already up and its heat can burn your skin. But since they were in the North, there's not much sun than there is in the south, so it was mostly fine.

When they were almost to the campsite a few meters from the peak, Nymeria howled—which Arya had found odd.

And then they heard screams and heavy footsteps coming towards them and saw the people from the first group running back towards the way they came.

"WOLF!" Someone screamed.

Everyone from Arya's group looked ahead and saw what the others had meant. Something was indeed, coming towards them. They scattered when they saw it. Everyone but Arya.

Gendry grabbed her arm. "Come on," He insisted.

But Arya was more curious than scared, so she stood her ground. She didn't think it was a threat, whatever it was, because Nymeria was all chill.

Her dog wasn't even barking her warning bark and standing in her defensive stance—she was, instead, wagging her tail excitedly, like a friend was coming closer.

An animal sprinted towards them. Specifically, towards her. And as it got closer, she began to recognize it.

"Summer?" She said in disbelief.

That's right, it _is_ Summer—Bran's dog.

And that's when Summer tackled her to the ground and started licking her face. Her other companions must've thought "the wolf" was biting her face off and they were screaming in panic.

"Arya!" Gendry screamed trying to get to her.

Arya sat up and pushed Summer away from her face. "Alright, boy," She said. "I missed you too."

Now, both Nymeria and Summer were nuzzling their head at her hands, which resulted in her stroking their hides.

Arya sighed. "You're both making me look bad." She said as she stood.

Then she noticed her other companions, staring at her petrified and in awe.

"Oh, um," She started to say. "It's okay everyone. False alarm, it's not a wolf. And I'm okay, he didn't bite my face off, he was just saying hi." She assured. "He's my dog's littermate, it's fine."

Gendry approached her, looking pale himself. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, touching her face and raising her arms, searching for scratches and bite marks.

Arya swatted his hand away. "I'm fine." She insisted. "It's just how he says hi."

Then she noticed that Summer had the leash from his harness was cut unintentionally, like he escaped. But why in seven hells would Summer be doing on Mt. Alarra?

"Oh my gods!" Arya exclaimed, stupidly only now realizing the truth. She knelt before Summer. "If you're here, then—?"

"SUMMER!" A panicked, male voice called out.

Arya could see silhouettes of four people from the mist, running from uphill, and frantically looking around.

"Summer!" The voice called again, but this time the voice was familiar.

Arya gripped Summer's leash tight, as he was trying to run to whoever called his name. But since he was restrained, he barked loud.

"Summer?" A male voice called out again.

_Yep, it's him_. Arya thought.

One of the four people came closer and Arya recognized who the person was from his composure alone. Red hair, navy blue parka jacket, tall and skinny…

"Hello, little brother," She greeted.

It was indeed, her brother, Bran.

Bran's eyes widened when he saw her. The other three people he was with, came to stand beside him. And Arya recognized them to be Asher Forrester, Jojen Reed—Meera's brother, and Lyanna Mormont. And all four of them had confused expressions on their faces.

Arya raised an eyebrow at them. "What the fuck are you all doing up here?"


	10. Trekking

**BRAN**

Bran graduated his degree with the highest distinction, forced to do some inspirational speech, and introduced Meera to his family—but his parents' expressions when they met Meera's parents, had completely bothered him.

Just as it happened, Bran couldn't get it out of his head. And he was sure it's gonna affect his relationship with Meera.

He wanted to ask the problem was, but didn't have the courage until that Monday morning after his sister Arya had left for Moat Cailin for her seminar in Harrenhal. And while Vayon was helping Rickon carry his stuff into Bran's car, Bran went to see their Dad in his study.

Bran gently rapped his knuckles on his Dad's study's door. "Dad, do you have a minute?" He asked.

"Come in," His Dad answered and his face lit up when he saw him. "Oh, Bran, what is it? Has your brother already packed?"

"Uh, yeah," Bran replied. "Vayon's helping him with his stuff into my car." He cleared his throat. "What happened years ago between you and the Reeds?"

The question caught his Dad off guard, and his face dropped.

"Dad, don't deny it," He added. "You look like you wanted to sucker punch Howland Reed when you saw him."

Ned Stark wouldn't meet his eyes. He grabbed a pen from his penholder on the table and started signing papers. "That's a good question for another time."

"Dad, there was an obvious tension when you met again." Bran insisted. "Maybe we can help—" He started to say.

"Now is not the time for this, Brandon." Ned interrupted.

"When will be the time, then?" He asked.

"Just stay away from that family."

Bran sighed. "Dad, I love Meera. And the tension between you and her Dad is—"

"Brandon,"

"What happened back then?" Bran pried. "Is it really that messy to the point that we were all kept in the dark?"

Ned dropped his pen and glared at him. "It's not your problem to worry about."

"Probably not," He agreed. "But it's affecting us in a way, especially Meera and I."

"You know your brother's probably waiting for you."

Bran shook his head in disbelief. "I thought you said every problem has a solution and that you should face it to fix it. But you're not doing that yourself." He said, then hurriedly got out of the study.

Summer was waiting for him at the bottom of the grand staircase. Bran had then clipped the leash onto his dog's harness before walking out their front door.

Rickon had already fastened his dog, Shaggy onto his car's backseat and was currently attaching a dog seatbelt on the shotgun seat for Summer.

"Are you all set?" Bran asked.

Rickon was startled and hit his head on the interior roof of the car. "Ow!" He said, then stood up, rubbing his head. "Uh, yeah. My bags are already in the trunk."

"Well, let's get going then." Bran strapped Summer onto the shotgun seat.

"Bro, are you okay?" Rickon asked.

"I'm fine." He lied. "Just get in."

Rickon shrugged. "Alright, geez." He got into the backseat without a word.

They drove to White Harbor in silence. Bran had just turned on the radio creating background noise to cover up the awkwardness.

They arrived at 11am and ate lunch at _The Burger Lab_ branch near the _Aquamarine_.

Between Bran and his siblings, Rickon has the biggest appetite—even bigger than Arya's—that his typical order is three burgers, each with different toppings. And with extra onions, of course.

That afternoon, Bran accompanied his younger brother to the _University of White Harbor_ and gave him a quick tour. But he had never enrolled him yet because up until then Rickon hadn't decided on what degree program to take.

So by Tuesday, Bran toured Rickon around White Harbor, with their dogs, of course. And then Rickon even insisted on meeting Meera when she got off from work once they got home.

"You do know that I usually walk to see her, right?" Bran said.

"Walk as in strolling?" Rickon asked. "In the streets?"

"Yeah, with Summer." He added.

Rickon frowned at him. "Mom and Dad allowed this?"

"No," Bran shook his head. "And if you tell them, I'll fucking kill you."

Rickon raised his hands in surrender. "I won't, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, bro."

Bran had texted Meera ahead that he'd be bringing along his brother for dinner, and she agreed.

His younger brother enjoyed walking the streets with him and their dogs. Mostly, because people gave them unusual looks—the _Is getting a wolf as a pet even legal?_ type.

They arrived at _The Northern Herald_ office building and waited outside. Bran knew better than to enter the premises and get into an argument with Tyrek Lannister again—it's not something he's looking forward to and Summer might attack him, so he wasn't taking any chances.

A few minutes after they arrived, Meera walked out of the building's lobby.

"Hey, Branflakes!" Meera squealed as she ran to him and gave him a peck on his cheek.

"Stardust," Bran smiled, then kissed her on her cheek in return. He gestured to his brother. "You remember Rickon, right?"

"Your brother, of course," Meera said. "Hello, Rickon," Then she knelt and scratched Summer's neck, prompting him to bark in excitement and wagged his tail. "Hello, Summer."

Meera turned to Shaggy, holding out her hand. "What's his name?" She asked.

Shaggy nuzzled Meera's hand before licking it and wagged his tail playfully.

"This is Shaggy." Rickon replied.

"Aww," Meera giggled. "Hello, Shaggy."

Rickon frowned. "That's weird, he doesn't usually warm up to people he just met."

"Summer already knew her, bro," Bran explained. "It's probably why."

"So are all your dogs actually siblings?" She asked.

"Yeah, you could say that," Rickon confirmed, turning to Bran. "I mean, they were found together, right?"

"Technically, the term is littermates—" Bran started to say but was interrupted by a shriek.

"Oh, fuck!" Lyra cursed.

They turned and saw Lyra hiding behind Gwyn, using her as a human shield. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. Now, there are two wolves."

"Hello to you too, Lyra." Rickon greeted.

"Stark boys number three and four," Lyra acknowledged. "Of course, you're here with those…wolves."

"They're not wolves." Rickon corrected.

"If we are talking about taxonomy, Baby Stark," Lyra pointed out. "Wolves are of the dog family."

Rickon looked offended. "Why the fuck does everybody call me that?"

Gwyn snorted. "You should see how Lya takes it." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, we have to go. You guys obviously have someplace else to go. We'll leave you to it."

"See you around, Starks, Meera," Lyra waved them goodbye.

Once Gwyn and Lyra left, Rickon turned to them curiously. "So, where are we eating?" He asked.

Bran and Meera exchanged looks before facing him. "The _Cornucopia_."

Rickon frowned in confusion. "The _what_-utopia?"

"_Cornucopia_, bro." Bran corrected.

"It's food park a few blocks from where I live." Meera explained.

"A food park?" Rickon repeated, then squealed. "Yes!"

Meera watched Rickon in amusement as he seemed excited like a seven-year-old kid.

"Rickon has the largest appetite in our family," Bran pointed out. "Him and Arya."

They made their way towards the _Cornucopia Food Park_. Meera held Summer's leash as they walked.

Rickon had more paper plates of food than both Bran's and Meera's combined. Yep, he's appetite is that huge.

"Your brother is adorable," Meera remarked when she and Bran went to buy drinks, and Rickon was left at their table with Summer and Shaggy.

"He gets excited over the tiniest things, I know," Bran added. "He's ADHD and that itself, explains a lot."

Afterwards, they walked Meera to the _Greenwoods_ before walking back to the _Aquamarine_.

The following morning, on an unusual snowy Wednesday morning—it's pretty normal to snow in the North even in summer—Rickon walked up to Bran while he was cooking their breakfast.

"Bro, I've been thinking about it all night," Rickon spoke up. "And I wanna be like Mom."

"A doctor?"

Rickon shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Rickon, it'll take you eight years to finish." He narrowed his eyes at him. "A pre-med program and then medicine. Are you sure about this?"

"Bran, I'm aware of that." His younger brother insisted. "And I even decided on what pre-med program I'm going to take."

"And?"

"Medical technology,"

Bran opened his mouth to speak up, but Rickon held his hand up.

"Hup, I know what you're going to say," Rickon said. "Medtechs are the ones who test and analyze blood, other body fluids, and tissue samples. And thank the gods I'm not squeamish."

Bran was still having second thoughts. Mostly, because Rickon was ADHD, but he respected his younger brother's decision. And he knew him too well where when he makes a decision, it's final—Rickon probably got that from their Dad.

After they ate their breakfast and freshened up, they drove to the _University of White Harbor_.

He accompanied Rickon in the enrollment process as well as fixing his class schedule and finding the 'sane' professors that will handle the classes he'll be in. They had finished by that same afternoon and Bran later gave Rickon a tour of the campus again.

"Oh, forget the buildings and whatnot," Rickon said as they strolled across the main quad, eating burritos. "Tell me about the people that roam the place. There are still cliques, right?"

"Yes, of course," Bran confirmed as they sat by one of the tables in the Main Quad. "Like high school, there are cliques. But unlike in high school, there are no rivalries, feuds, or minorities whatsoever. Everyone is equal."

"That's cool." His brother beamed. "How about this? How can you tell if a person walking through campus is a medical student, an engineering student, or an art student?"

"A medical student is easy to spot," Bran pointed out. "Because they're always in white scrubs. Engineering students, they're always bringing a lot of stuff. And art students, well…you'll know one when you see one. They dress…weird."

"Arya doesn't dress weird." Rickon pointed out as he chugged down his first burrito.

"You didn't let me finish," He interrupted. "And/or their hairs are either dyed or highlighted in the wildest colors."

"Oh, there it is," Rickon chuckled. "Arya has blue highlights in her hair." He cleared his throat. "What about other cliques?" He asked.

"The jocks—the athletes," Bran started. "You'll know them immediately, because they wear letterman jackets with the university mascot's logo. Cheerleaders, same thing, also they're in uniform."

"Ooh, do they have tryouts in the football team?" Rickon asked.

"Dude, I thought you're going to focus on schoolwork."

"Right, sorry," Rickon said. "Go on."

"The geeks, you'll find them in the cybercafés or the coffeeshops." Bran continued. "The thespians are of course, in the theater and are obsessed with Godsway musicals. The music dorks are either in a music band or just like singing and there are a lot of cliques depending on the musical genre. The frat guys and sorority girls, also in letterman jackets and uniform t-shirts—they host the best parties on campus and the Greek Row. There's also the emos/punks/goths—most people honestly can't identify which is which so we refer to them as the _Men in Black_, because, well, they're always wearing black. Then there are the popular ones, which is pretty much self-explanatory. And the nerds, which are often found the library and they're the smartest people ever."

"So, you're a nerd?" Rickon chuckled. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"Most people say that as well," Bran sighed. "But I don't believe it."

"What about Robb, Sansa, and Arya?" His younger brother asked. "What were they when they were in college?"

"Sansa belongs in the popular clique, obviously," Bran recalled. "Arya is more of a drifter, and I think Robb is the same."

"What's a drifter?"

"Drifters are don't particularly belong in a group," He explained. "They interact with one or more cliques non-exclusively. They're friends with everyone and are well-known rather than popular."

"Stark!" A voice called, making Bran and his brother turn.

They saw a familiar face. Rickon looked away in disdain when the person approached them. Bran recalled seeing him a few times during one of those events their parents forced him and his siblings to attend.

The one who called their attention was a guy with a shaggy, shoulder-length strawberry blond hair with a lean build. And he had a smug expression on his face. Bran instantly didn't like him.

"Stark!" The blond guy nodded at Rickon, then frowned when he saw him as well. "Oh, Starks, then. What's up?"

"Hello, Gryff," Rickon greeted without enthusiasm. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'll be attending classes in the fall here now," Gryff said.

Rickon forced out a smile. "Oh, that's great." He said. "Another familiar face for me to see around the campus."

"Nice!" Gryff beamed. "Anyways, I gotta run. I'm checking out if there are tryouts on the football team. See you guys around." He said before running off across the Main Quad.

As soon as Gryff was out of earshot, Rickon cussed. "Fuck!"

"Who's that guy again?" Bran asked.

"Gryff Whitehill," Rickon informed. "He came into _Torrhen Stark Academy_ after you graduated."

Bran remembered the Whitehills, they're the ruling family of Highpoint—the coldest city in the North, and the highest in terms of altitude. The only person he knew from the clan was Gwyn Whitehill. And he also knew that she had four brothers, but Bran didn't know their names.

"You don't seem to like him."

"Nobody fucking likes him." Rickon blurted out. "Back in high school, he usually acts like he owns the place. He's not nice, at all. And when he is, it's because he wants something."

"His sister, Gwyn seems nice," Bran pointed out.

"Oh, the other Whitehills are nice," His younger brother confirmed. "Everyone but Gryff. He's rude and arrogant." He took a deep breath. "Anyways, enough about him. What time do we leave tomorrow?" He asked.

Bran frowned. "Where are we going tomorrow?" He asked.

Rickon made a face at him like he was an idiot. "Bro, tomorrow is Labor day, which means it's a holiday and we can go back home to Winterfell."

"Oh, right," He said. But he had obviously forgotten about Labor day. "Maybe after lunch."

That night, right before he went to sleep, Bran called Meera.

_"Hey, Branflakes,"_ Meera answered from the other line.

"Hey," He greeted. "Um, how's your day?"

_"It's fine,"_ She replied. _"Oh, by the way, Lyra reminded me about mountain trekking this week. You still game?"_

"Of course," Bran said. "I was just about to ask about that. When and where are we going to meet?"

_"Friday morning, here in my place," _Meera informed. _"You can bring Rickon if he wants to come."_

"Yeah, about that," He snorted. "The thing is, I didn't tell my Mom and Dad that I'm going hiking with you guys. And if I actually ask permission, they'd never allow it. And if I tell Rickon, well, all the more reason I won't be allowed."

_"You can't just leave him there by himself, you know."_

"I'm driving him back to Winterfell tomorrow," He said. "Trust me, he's more eager to get home before labor day. I'll drive back to White Harbor, like maybe in the afternoon. And if you're free, we can have dinner."

_"Dinner?"_ She repeated. _"You're on! I'll cook for you if you'd like. And you're welcome to stay the night."_

"Ooh, you know I love home-cooked meals." He beamed. "But staying overnight? Isn't your brother there?"

_"Nope, he moved back home in Greywater after he graduated,"_ She explained. _"And if you ask me, it's because he was more eager to use Mom and Dad's graduation present to him."_

"What is his graduation present?"

_"A greenhouse."_

"Ooh, a botanist's dream." He chuckled.

_"I know, and also,"_ Meera's voice turned serious. _"I wanna show you something."_

"What is it?"

_"Something I think can give us a lead on why our Dads hate each other."_

Bran sat up from his bed. "What do you got?"

_"It's better if I just show it,"_ She said. _"These are newspaper articles. It contains things that we weren't taught in school about Westerosi Politics. And I also got some tiny information from it about our Dads."_

"I'm surprised about it too, you know," He admitted. "But I firmly believe that you and I will be the ones who'll fix the rift—whatever in seven hells this is about."

_"I hope so too."_

Bran could hear her yawn. "Oh, well, you better get some sleep."

_"Good night, Branflakes,"_ Meera said, sleepily.

"Good night, Stardust," He said before hanging up.

_I love you,_ Bran wanted to add but decided against it. And even if he did say it, Meera might not say it back. At least, not yet.

By Thursday, Bran and Rickon drove back home to Winterfell. When they arrived, not one family member was there. They're all probably still at work. Their Dad was at the Capitol, their Mom was at the _Northern Doctors Hospital_ in uptown Winterfell, Robb and Sansa were in _Stark Industries_, and Arya was at a seminar in Harrenhal.

_Perfect!_ Bran thought. That way no one will chastise him from actually going mountain trekking.

He took essentials he didn't have at the _Aquamarine_, a tent, a sleeping bag, and a hiking backpack he had used when they went camping in the _Wolf Pines_ back when he was young. The other stuff, he can get in White Harbor like a double bowl feeder for Summer that can store food and water at the same time as well, a flashlight, a small first aid kit, and extra clothes, and of course, the Swiss army knife Jon had given each of them.

Bran took the stuff he needed, placed them in the backseat of his car, before strapping Summer on the shotgun seat.

Rickon caught up to him when he did. "Hey, where are going?" He asked.

"Back to White Harbor," Bran replied.

"But it's the weekend."

"Rickon, Saturday and Sunday are the weekends," He pointed out. "It's only Thursday."

"I know, but tomorrow is Labor Day," Rickon reminded him. "So, it's considered a long weekend. What are you gonna do in White Harbor anyway?"

"I'm gonna…" Bran faltered, thinking hard of an excuse to tell his brother. "Um, I'm gonna help the Mormonts with something." He blurted out as he entered his car and shut the door behind him.

What Rickon didn't know is that Bran was actually gonna go mountain trekking with the Mormonts and Meera up on Mt. Alarra in Highpoint.

But Rickon, in his own stubborn way, came after him and rapped his knuckles on the driver's car window. "Hey!"

He pushed the button to open the window. "What?"

"When are you gonna be back?" He asked.

"On the weekend," Bran promised. "So, you'll have to tell the good news about you in school by yourself."

Rickon shrugged smugly. "Oh, it's not a problem." He assured. "Just bring food when you get back."

Bran snorted. "Of course, Rickon." He said before driving off.

He arrived in the _Aquamarine_ at around 6pm, Bran immediately packed his stuff and he called Meera to tell her that he's on his way.

Bran decided to take a cab to the _Greenwood Flats_ because he won't have a parking space for his car and according to Meera, it's not safe to park in the streets because you'll never know who's gonna smash your windows and grab the valuable stuff in the car. And if he walked the streets, he'll get tired easily because he'll be carrying his backpack and Summer on a leash.

Thankfully, the cabbie allowed for a pet to ride.

As he entered the Greenwood's building, Meera was already waiting for them in the lobby and she fetched them with a smile and a hug. She was in khaki pants, olive green blouse and brown boots, which only meant one thing: she had just got off from work.

"Hey," Meera greeted, then hugged and kissed him. "Dinner's ready." Afterwards, she scratched Summer's neck. "Hello, Summer." She turned back to him. "Let's go."

Meera led them to her place on the sixth floor. "Welcome back." She smiled. "Just place your bag on the couch, remove Summer's leash, and let's dig in."

She gestured for them to follow her to the dining hall. The table was already set and the food was already served.

"Whoa," Bran said. "You _really_ prepared for this."

"Of course, I did," Meera said, matter of factly. "And I even baked some lasagna for Summer. I researched some recipes dogs like best."

"Oh, he'll definitely love that." He guessed. "Summer eats anything edible."

Meera opened all four cloches on the table. "For the appetizers, I loved your dynamite spring rolls, so I sort of, stuck to the same main ingredient: jalapeños." She said. "For the main course, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin for us meat-lovers; and for dessert, crème caramel."

Bran smiled wide and gave her a full kiss on the lips. _Meera is definitely wife material_, He thought.

When they let go, she looked surprised. "What was that for?"

"For all these." He said.

Meera chuckled. "How about we just eat?"

"Right, of course."

She had placed the bowl of lasagna on the floor for Summer, to which he munched immediately. And they ate, Meera also told him the details on mountain climbing.

According to her, the Mormonts, Gwyn, and Asher agreed that Meera's flat will be the assembly place and that they should be here by nine in the morning. Gwyn and Asher will be providing their transportation to Highpoint.

"Oh, also," She added. "I didn't tell anyone that you're staying overnight."

"Well, I guess I'll make it look like I arrived very early." He said. "So, what time does Jojen get here?"

Meera shrugged. "I don't know, probably earlier than nine," She replied. "He's very strict when it comes to punctuality."

He had then helped Meera with the dishes before she had packed her own stuff for the hiking trip. But before she did, Meera had handed him an expanded envelope.

"What's this?" He asked.

"A potential clue on why our dads hate each other." She said. "Just give it a read while I pack my stuff for tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright," He said before opening the envelope.

It had six printed news articles from the Northern Herald. And Meera had labeled each numerically with a red marker.

The first one, she labeled: (1) _Northern Governor Killed in King's Landing Bombing_. It was about how his grandfather, Rickard Stark, his Uncle Brandon, and eight others were killed in a bombing in the capital.

The second article (2) _President Targaryen, Alleged Mastermind Behind the Massacre of Wolves_, stated that Aerys Targaryen was behind his grandfather and uncle's death, which was confirmed by the strong evidence presented by his own son, Rhaegar Targaryen, and it was also implied that he was dating his Aunt Lyanna.

The third one (3) _The Riverlands and Vale Join the North in their Revolt Against the Targaryen Administration, Threats of Civil War engulfs_—this article shook him. It wasn't taught to them in history classes at all. He didn't know that the northern half of Westeros almost went to war because of it. And the ones that declared their support were also family, his maternal grandfather, Hoster Tully, who was then Governor of the Riverlands; and his Uncle Jon Arryn, the husband of her Aunt Lysa—his Mom's younger sister.

The fourth article, labeled (4) says, _Pres. Aerys Targaryen Impeached and Charged Guilty of Mass Murder, VP Robert Baratheon Inaugurated as New President_. This, he knew about because it was taught in school. Aerys Targaryen was impeached and was guilty of orchestrating the _Massacre of Wolves_, and the inauguration of Robert Baratheon as the new president of the country on the same day. And it was weird seeing a photo of the Baratheon brothers in their youth.

The fifth, labeled (5) _Former Pres. Targaryen Assassinated by Rebels on the way to the Wolf's Den Prison_. This, he also knew about. Bran remembered when this was the topic in history class. Everyone in class practically loathed the Targaryens until their teacher said Aerys was impeached and charged but was shocked to hear that he was assassinated before he could even be brought to the _Wolf's Den_. And it was also said that the remaining Targaryens fled the country. What surprised him was that it was implied that Howland Reed—Meera's Dad, was a family friend who has known the Starks for years and he even defended them.

Bran didn't see the connection of all the news articles Meera had printed until he read the last article. Labeled (6) _1 Dead in a Zero-Visibility Blizzard in Moat Cailin._ The article was about his Aunt Lyanna, who had died in a car accident in a snowstorm. And it even had a photo of her, which has a frightening resemblance to his sister, Arya. It was said that his Aunt Lyanna drove a car that wasn't even hers but it belonged to a friend, Howland Reed and that she was traveling with her six-month-old son, Aegon. But it wasn't right. His cousin's name was Jon, not Aegon.

After reading Bran carefully placed them back in the envelope. He didn't know what to feel. He learned stuff he wasn't taught in school and he even learned things about his Aunt Lyanna in reading those news articles than information his Dad ever told him and his siblings.

So, it's safe to guess that his Dad blamed Howland Reed for his sister's death, and he changed his cousin's name from Aegon to Jon. His father lost three family members in two years.

But there are still unanswered questions. How come none of those were even mentioned to them by their own father? Why did his Aunt Lyanna come to Howland Reed to borrow his car? What did she want to go to White Harbor for? Why did she bring along baby Jon with her?

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Meera carrying out her trekking backpack in the living room and calling his name. She had also changed into a white t-shirt and loose shorts and was also barefoot. And she had a quilt hanging over her shoulder.

"Bran?" She called. "Branflakes, hey!"

It shook him back to reality and he turned to face her.

He noticed her folding the quilt and placed it on the backrest of the couch. "What's with the quilt?"

"It's for Summer," Meera said. "But I don't know where and how he sleeps so," She shrugged.

"It's fine," He sighed. "Normally, he'll sleep by my feet. But in any case, he can sleep anywhere, as long as I assure him."

"So, he's okay with sleeping on the couch then?"

"Yeah, of course," He nodded in agreement. Then his thoughts went back to the news articles he had just read.

"I see that you've read it." She noticed as she folded the quilt on the couch enough for Summer to curl up and get comfortable on it.

Bran shrugged. "I'm still confused, honestly." He admitted. "And I have a lot of questions."

Meera sighed as she sat next to him on the couch. "Me too," She said. "The first article I found was the one I labeled number six. It links to the conversation I overheard my Mom and Dad talked about someone named _Lya_ who died in a car accident in a snowstorm." She explained. "But I found holes in the story. Firstly, why was she using my Dad's car that day? And it even has your cousin's name wrong. And secondly, the last paragraph struck me, why would anyone plot her death? So I dug deeper. And I found those other five news articles, connecting the Starks to the then first family, the Targaryens."

Bran nodded. "Aunt Lyanna dated Rhaegar Targaryen, a president's son." He made a face. "It's a weird coincidence. And this guy could be Jon's father."

"Were you not told about your cousin's father?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Only that he's probably dead. Even Jon wasn't asking questions about his Dad. And I've tried getting some information from my Dad, but nothing. He just gave me the _that's a good question for another time_ bullshit."

"My Dad said the same," She pointed out. "I honestly don't know how to make him talk about that issue. He just evades every question I ask about you Starks."

Bran suddenly took her hand and gently squeezed it. "Look whatever in seven hells is this, and whatever's gonna happen, it's not gonna change how I feel about you." He then kissed her hand.

"Bran—" She started to say.

"I love you, Meera." He blurted out. "If there's anything good this stupid feud ever brought, it's me finding out how I really feel about you." He said. "I know, it's probably too early to say—"

Meera interrupted him by planting a kiss on his lips. And when they broke apart, she smiled at him. "I love you too, Branflakes."

Hearing her say that she loved him back made him wanna scream in delight. He was so happy, he cupped her face and kissed her again. They were giggling when they broke apart.

"Oh, gods," Bran said, smiling. "You have no idea how happy I am." He then stood. "YESSS!" He screamed giddily. "Oh my gods, I love you so much!" He then gave her another quick kiss.

"Whoa! Calm down," Meera scolded. "Our neighbor will think we're having sex. These walls aren't as soundproof as the ones in the _Aquamarine_." `

"I don't care what people think," He said. "I'm just so happy right now." Then he scooped her up from the couch and carried her in his arms.

"Bran—whoa, what the fuck?" She complained, then giggled. "What are you doing? Put me down."

Bran did as she asked. "Sorry," He was still smiling as he sat beside her on the couch. "Meera, I know the whole thing with our Dads will probably get worse," He said. "But whatever happens, I want you to know that I'll never stop fighting for us." He promised. "For what we have and what we will have."

"_We_ will never stop fighting," She corrected. "I promise that too."

Bran leaned in closer and kissed the top of her forehead.

Suddenly, Summer barked. For a moment, Bran felt horrible as he had forgotten his dog was there with them too. And he was left out.

"Don't worry Summer," He assured. "You're a witness to everything we had just said."

Meera chuckled, then patted the seat next to her. "Come here, buddy."

Summer excitedly jumped to her side, playfully wagging his tail.

"And Summer approves of you as well." He noticed as he wrapped his arm around her.

Meera frowned when he did.

"Oh, sorry," He apologized as he tried to remove his arm from around her shoulder.

But Meera pulled it back. "Bran, it's not the first time you've put your arm around me." She said. "I was just startled, that's all."

"Well, then," He smirked, softly squeezing her shoulder and gave her a peck on her cheek. "We've done more than just hand gestures."

Meera raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Wait, so…" He smiled. "Are you saying that…" He faltered.

"Well, if you're not starting it, I am." Meera winked at him before surging forward and kissed him.

Bran kissed her back, of course.

Summer seemed to get the idea of what was going on and jumped back down to the floor and on to the armchair.

Meera pushed him back, still kissing him, and began to sit on his lap. It was when she straddled him that he broke apart.

"Meera, I don't think this is a good idea," He said. "We're supposed to be gathering strength and resting because we're climbing a mountain tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Branflakes," She assured, planting soft kisses on his face. "Just sit back and relax."

"Meera—oh, shit!" He yelped as Meera cupped the bulge in his pants and gently massaged it. "Hmm," He moaned. "You're getting persuasive." Then he leaned closer and caught her lips with his.

Her kisses were soft at first, then it got hotter. She had then started grinding on his bulge, making his cock harder.

Bran went down on kissing jaw, then down to her neck before sucking spots on it, making her moan softly.

Meera gripped the hoops of his trousers and grabbed his belt, unbuckled it before reaching into his boxer-shorts, and massaged his hard member.

"Hmm, oh my gods," He whimpered. "Meera…"

She had then removed her hand from his trousers. "Let's move to the bedroom." She said before pulling his hand.

"Okay," Bran replied, then allowed himself to be dragged by Meera to her bedroom, the door adjacent to the bathroom.

Summer started to follow them, but Bran turned back to him.

"Summer, stay." He instructed. "You can sleep on the couch, buddy."

Summer barked, hopefully in agreement, before running back to the living room.

The size of Meera's bedroom is just about the same as his bathroom in Stark Manor. And yes, he considered it a large bathroom for just one person. But then again, that mansion was built way before his Dad was even born.

The full-sized bed was neatly made and placed in the corner of the room on two of its sides. Her desk had a laptop, a penholder, car keys, and her work binder. Above her desk had a corkboard with sticky notes, pinned papers, and Polaroid pictures of her friends and family and a small calendar that had a few dates encircled with a red marker. She also had a bookshelf filled with books, a wardrobe, and a table dresser with a mirror. In other words, her room was clean and orderly.

"Sorry, it's cramped in here." She apologized.

"It isn't, actually," He complimented. "It's quite nice."

"Well, it's not as big as your room in the _Aquamarine_," She pointed out. "Or probably, your room in your house in Winterfell, but—"

"Shh," Bran interrupted, putting a finger before her lips, hushing her up. "It doesn't matter how big or small a room is. What matters is that you're with me in it." He then surged forward and caught her lips with his.

Meera giggled before pulling up his shirt to remove it. Bran had also slid out of his trousers, dropping them to the floor as he slid his hand inside Meera's t-shirt, gently rubbing her soft skin.

She had then pushed him to the bed and started removing her clothes. She first took off her t-shirt revealing her perky breasts, before moving on to her shorts and panties.

"Damn," He said before he could stop himself.

Thankfully, it only made Meera chuckle and climbed on to the bed on top of him. Bran backup and leaned his back on the bed headboard as she did.

"Just sit back and relax," She whispered before she wrapped her fingers around and began to slowly jerk him.

Bran muttered nonsense as he threw his head back on the bed's headboard. He then reached out and cupped her breasts, making her moan.

"Oh, fuck it!" She cussed, before kissing him again and climbed over him, locking her knees tight to his sides. "Let's get this over with."

Meera settled one hand on his shoulder and used her other hand to position his hardened cock at her entrance, but Bran sat up straight and stopped her.

"Wait, Meera," He said. "We can't—there's a condom in my wallet—"

"Shh," She interrupted, placing a finger before her lips. "Relax, okay?"

"But we can't just—"

"Branflakes, it's okay," Meera assured. "I'm on birth control. And besides, I wanted to feel you bare."

He nodded. "Okay." He said as he leaned back on the headboard as Meera slowly impaled herself on his cock.

Bran moaned as he gripped her hips hard. Then Meera began rolling her hips and rode him. She pulled herself up and dropped back down, making Bran shut his eyes.

Meera wheezed and had her mouth dropped open and as she submitted to the unbearable pleasure. "Oh, Bran…" She moaned. "You feel so good."

Suddenly, Bran sat up and caught her mouth, and not long after, their tongues were exploring each others'. He then moved his hands down to her arse, grabbing and squeezing it firmly and guiding her movements, making his length enter deeper and deeper than the last.

"Bran, hmm." She repeatedly muttered his name.

Bran started thrusting against her, making her shut her eyes and arched her body into the surge.

"Bran, oh my gods." She whimpered, then bit her lip, probably stopping herself from screaming.

He started sucking and biting on her neck again, before going down to her breasts and sucked one of her nipples, making her muffle a scream as she continued riding him.

Then his body became rigid and he stopped thrusting against her. "Meera," He said, gripping her buttcheeks hard. "Meera, I'm gonna cum. I need to pull out."

"Cum in me," She replied, still riding him. "It's fine."

"Meera—oh!" Before he could say anything else, he spurted his seed into her.

Meera slumped on top of him. "Bran, you feel so fucking good." She giggled, then gave him a kiss before pulling out of him. She examined her cunt and noticed some of his seed sipping from it.

"Wow, that's a lot." She said, then reached for the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a pack of wet wipes. Meera took one and wiped her cunt before throwing off the used wet wipes on the bin near the nightstand.

Bran lowered himself and wrapped an arm around Meera's waist and planted a peck on her cheek.

"You've worn me out, Branflakes," She snickered and she turned to face him and used his arm as a pillow. "That was some extreme workout."

"Hey, you asked for this." He pointed out. "And for some reason, I couldn't resist the urge to give you what you want."

It took him a few seconds to realize that Meera had already fallen asleep in his arms.

Bran snorted, then kissed her temple. "Good night, my Stardust."

. . .

The following morning, Bran woke up to a gentle kiss on his forehead. He groggily opened his eyes to see Meera sitting up, covering her chest with the comforter.

"Good morning," Bran said as he stretched.

Meera turned and smiled at him. "Hey, good morning," She said. "Now, that you're awake, get up and hit the shower."

Bran sat up and frowned. "What?" He asked as if he'd misheard her.

"Bran, I thought you're gonna make it look like you've arrived very early."

"Oh, right," He threw the covers over and bent down to pick up his clothes on the floor.

But as he was about to fix the bed, Meera waved him off. "Just go already," She insisted. "I'll take care of this. If Jojen gets here and catches us, we're both dead. Oh, and you can use my towel on the rack."

"Okay," Bran agreed, then went for the door. "But I'll check on Summer first."

He got out of Meera's room and peeked towards the living room.

Bran had to smile seeing Summer curled up on the folded quilt on the couch, sleeping soundly. And then he could hear his brother, Robb's baby voice in his thoughts saying, _Aww, he's so cute. Who's my best buddy? Yes, you are._

Not wanting to disturb his dog's comfy slumber, Bran went for the bathroom to shower. Afterwards, he had Meera's towel wrapped around his waist before stepping out.

Bran could already smell eggs and bacon cooking. "That smells good." He said as he walked towards the living room. "Do you need help?" He asked.

Meera was in the kitchen, in a bathrobe and her curly hair in tangles. But regardless, she still looked beautiful.

"No, I'm good," She assured. "Now, put on some clothes before Jojen gets here."

"Yes, ma'am," He said.

"And put your used clothes in the hamper," She added. "I'll put those in the washer later."

"No, it's fine—" He started to say.

"Bran, those are just extra kilos you're putting on your trekking bag," Meera pointed out. "I'm actually doing you a favor here. And besides, It'll count as a souvenir for the trip."

He made a face at her.

She snorted. "I'm kidding. You'll have it back, I swear. But for now, just please do what I say?"

He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright," He had then pulled out his extra clothes from his trekking bag and went back to the bathroom to change.

By the time he got out, Meera had already placed their breakfast on the dining table.

"Breakfast!" She announced, then she placed a bowl of scrambled eggs and chopped bacon on the floor for Summer, which made Summer ran towards it and ate the food immediately.

"Ooh, that looks and smells good," Bran said as he sat down by the dining table.

Meera had then brought two mugs from the kitchen and placed them on the table. "Here's your tea." She said as she sat down on her seat. "It's _Wildberries Fusion_. It's what Jojen prefers, hope it's okay."

Bran sipped tea from his mug. "Hmm, it's actually better than what I usually drink."

As they ate, Bran found himself staring at her. He was suddenly imagining himself in the future. Married to her, eating meals and doing stuff together.

Of course, Meera noticed him. And he's probably smiling like an idiot.

"What?" Meera frowned at him.

Bran shook his head, then look away. "Nothing, it's just…it's our second breakfast date together. The first time was—"

"I know, I fell asleep on your couch," She recalled. "When I woke up, it was morning, I remember. That was very spontaneous, I have to say. But I'm glad it happened."

Bran helped her with the dishes after they ate. Afterwards, she had then had him sit on the couch and watch TV while they wait for the others to arrive. She had also taken the quilt from the couch and back to her room.

Sure enough, just as his wristwatch beeped, saying it's seven in the morning, the flat door opened and Jojen entered in a jacket and a trekking backpack. Meera was right, her brother _did_ arrive early.

"Oh, fuck!" Jojen nearly jumped back when he saw him on the couch. He took a deep breath before speaking to him. "Hey," He nodded at him.

"Hi," Bran greeted, not knowing what else to do.

"You're early," Jojen declared. "What time did you arrive?"

"Oh, just thirty minutes ago," He lied.

Jojen was about to ask more questions when Summer approached him and got him distracted.

"Hi, boy," Jojen knelt, putting his trekking backpack on the couch next to Bran.

Summer approached Jojen and wagged his tail and allowed himself to be scratched on his neck.

Jojen turned back to Bran. "He's coming with us, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, he is," Bran confirmed.

Then Jojen used a baby voice while petting Summer. Bran was somehow not surprised, as Jojen did it the first time he met Summer.

"Branflakes, here's—" Meera came to the living room, carrying a handful of Cheetos, but stopped at her tracks when she saw her brother sitting on the floor, petting Summer. "Oh, you're here. You came earlier than expected."

"Hello to you too, sis," Jojen said. "How are you still not ready?"

Meera rolled her eyes at her brother. "Little brother, it's only—" She turned to Bran. "What time is it?" She asked.

"Seven." He replied.

She turned back to her brother. "It's only seven, and our ride will be here at nine. So, I have two hours to get ready."

"Mm-hmm," Jojen said. "Have you watered my plants already?"

"Not yet, but—"

"I'll do it." Jojen interrupted. "Just go get ready. Oh, by the way, where did you put the ADIS watering spikes?"

"Second drawer to the left from the sink." She answered as she entered the bathroom.

As Jojen rummage through the kitchen, Bran remained seated on the couch. But he felt awkward, not doing anything when everyone else is busy.

"Hey, Jojen," He spoke up, turning his head to Jojen's direction. "Um, do you need help?"

"No, no, I'm good," Jojen replied. "You're our guest, just make yourself comfortable."

"I feel weird not doing anything," He admitted.

"Really?" He frowned. "Aren't you the Governor's son? Don't you have people who'll do stuff for you?"

"Yeah, but my Dad says that I shouldn't always rely on other people if I could do stuff myself."

Jojen gave a half-hearted smile. "Hmm, and here I thought you were some spoiled rich boy."

Bran's eyes widened. "What? Do I really give off that vibe?"

Jojen shook his head. "Surprisingly, no," He admitted. "But when I heard your last name, I sort of, thought that you were like that. But I was wrong, you're nothing like I expected." Then he smiled. "I'm glad my sister met you."

"You guys talking about me?" Meera spoke up.

They both turned and saw Meera in a different bathrobe and her towel wrapped around her hair like a turban.

"Uh, no," Jojen answered. "Not everything is about you."

Meera frowned. "What in seven hells are you talking about? I'm just checking in on Bran."

Bran smiled at her. "I'm fine," He said. "I just had a little talk with your brother."

"He didn't threaten you or anything, right?"

"Meera, what the fuck?" Jojen snapped. "I'm not like one of those types who threaten the boyfriend/girlfriend of their sibling."

"Okay," Meera shrugged. "Oh, by the way, if the Mormonts arrive, just let them in." She said before going to her bedroom to change.

Bran continued with his conversation with Jojen, still trying to find more common ground with his girlfriend's brother while he tries to find whatever he needs in the kitchen. And he was surprised to see that Jojen was like him, introverted, socially-awkward, and is smarter than most people think. Even Summer seemed to like him too, as he occasionally went to Jojen when he was watering the plants from the balcony.

At around eight in the morning, a series of knocks came from the flat's main door.

_"Reed!"_ They could hear Lyra Mormont's voice on the other side. _"Open up!"_

"Oh, the Mormonts are here," Jojen announced.

"I'll get it." Bran volunteered, then went for the door.

He opened the door and sisters, Lyra and Lyanna invited themselves into the flat.

"Hey, Bran," Lyanna greeted.

"What's up, Stark boy number three," Lyra nodded in acknowledgment.

Lyra and Lyanna were already dressed for hiking. Well, sort of, except they hadn't worn their jackets yet. They placed their trekking bags on the floor right by his, Meera's, and Jojen's on the couch.

"Where are the Reeds?" Lyra asked as she sat on the other couch.

"Right here," Jojen snorted as he entered back from the balcony, with Summer following after him. "Hello, Mormonts."

Summer approached them as he usually likes saying hi to 'hoomans'.

Lyanna grinned when she saw Summer and practically spread her arms open to hug him. "Oh my gods!" She squealed. "Hello, Summer!"

Lyra, on the other hand, turned pale and raised her feet on the couch's armrest. "Oh, fuck no!" She cursed. "Please tell me that thing isn't coming with us."

"He is," Bran confirmed.

"Really?" Lya beamed, then sat on the floor, petting Summer. "Oh, that's even better." She began scratching Summer's neck. "It's great having a cuddly buddy with you and protector as well." And then Lya's baby voice begun. "Who's a cuddly buddy? Yes, you are!"

Lya looked at her sister in disgust. "Lya, what the fuck?"

Bran only had to laugh at Lyra's reaction to Lyanna playing with Summer.

"Seriously, Lyra," Jojen spoke up, slightly giggling. "How are you not falling for its cuteness?"

"Dude," Lyra snapped. "It's not cute. That's practically a wolf." She argued.

"Lyra," Bran chuckled. "How many times do I have to tell you? Summer and his littermates are not wolves but a mixed breed of large dogs."

"Wait," Jojen interrupted, placing his watering can on the kitchen counter and turned to Bran. "Summer and his littermates?" He repeated. "You mean, there's more of them?"

"You said it, Jojen," Lya confirmed. "There's like six of them. They're a whole pack."

Jojen's eyes widened. "Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Your house must be dog heaven."

Bran snorted. "You can say that."

"It's hell," Lyra declared.

Lyanna gave her sister an annoyed expression. "Sis, you're a total vibe killer," She gently patted Summer's head. "Hey, Summer, maybe you can give Lyra hell!" She then gestured for him to approach Lyra.

Thanks to Jon training the dogs at Castle Black, Summer and his littermates tend listen to commands given to them. So, as expected, he approached Lyra.

"Oh, fuck, no!" Lyra removed her hiking boots and stood on the couch's cushions. "Lya, what the fuck!"

"Go get her, Summer!" Lyanna ordered.

Summer was playfully wagging his tail, trying to get to Lyra on the couch.

"Lya, I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Lyra threatened as she desperately tried to shoo Summer away from her. "Go away, wolf! Lya!"

"This is gold," Lyanna chuckled, then pulled out her phone and started video-recording her sister. "I'm sending this to Jory."

Jojen was laughing his arse off in the kitchen. "Go, Summer!" He cheered.

Lyra had tried to throw a pillow at Summer, but he started barking, making Lyra even more scared. She turned to Bran. "Stark, do something, please!"

At that same moment, Meera got out of her room. She was already dressed up but still had a towel on her head.

"What is this commotion about?" She demanded.

"Meera, oh my gods!" Lyra exclaimed. "Please, help me." She pleaded.

Meera turned to them. "Guys, come on," She said, then turned to Bran. "Branflakes."

Bran sighed. "Summer, heel." He commanded.

Summer obliged, then ran to his side and rested his head on Bran's knee.

"Thank you," Lyra said, sighing in relief. Then she frowned. "How are you still not ready?"

Meera narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm already dressed," She insisted. "I just need to dry my hair."

"I'm coming with you," Lyra said, then jumped from the couch and ran towards Meera's room.

As Lyra went with Meera back to her bedroom, Jojen went back to his plants. Lyanna, who probably got bored, joined him.

"Wow," Lyanna said. "Very organized with the labels and all. And are those their actual scientific names?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah," Jojen explained. "That way, it helps me with school work as well, because it counts as studying when I water the plants."

Lyanna bent over and read the label on the plant on the bottom row three-tier wooden pot plant stand. "_Mandrake_, _Mandragora officinarum_ " She read. "Holy crap, these plants actually exist? I thought those were made up for _Harry Potter_."

"Nope, the ones in _Harry Potter_ are based on the real Mandrakes." Jojen informed.

Lya seemed unconvinced.

"Lya," Bran spoke up. "You won't hear baby cries when you pull it out from the pot, by the way."

"Do I look that stupid?" Lya glared at him, then turned to Jojen. "I just don't understand how it's linked to witchcraft."

Bran nodded at Jojen. "Dude, you take this one."

Jojen chuckled. "It was linked to witchcraft because of its hallucinogenic and narcotic properties. Particularly, because it induces a state of unconsciousness. And most people assumed it's an ingredient to make poison."

"More so than nightshade berries?" Lya asked.

"Apparently, yes," Jojen confirmed. "But a lot of people don't know that. The Mandrake is widely used for medicinal purposes. It even used as anesthesia for surgery in ancient times."

"Oh, cool!" Lya beamed. "So, what else do you grow here?" She started reading the labels of the other plants on the tier stand. "Don't tell me you have a Valerian plant as well."

"I do, actually," Jojen said, matter of factly, pointing at a pot on the far right of the top row. "Right there."

"_Valerian, Valeriana officinalis_," Lya read. "Oh, wow. Do you have onions and garlic as well?" She asked.

"Yes, I do," Jojen replied. "It's just not here. I brought it home to Greywater." He said. "I still have to bring these back home, but I'm leaving behind the herbs Meera will use for cooking."

"Hmm, so what are those things you're putting on the pots?" Lya asked.

"Uh, these are watering spikes," Jojen explained. "Because, well, we won't be back until tomorrow and no one will be here to water the plants. So these will do the trick."

"Can I help?" Lya suggested.

Jojen hesitated. "Um," He started to say.

"Come on," Lya pleaded. "It might be a while before Gwyn and Asher get here. Might as well have something to do to pass time, and also for the job to get done faster."

"I guess," Jojen shrugged.

"Just tell me what I need to do," Lya said.

Jojen had then instructed Lya to assist him in placing watering spikes on the potted plants.

Bran watched them both in amusement, while petting Summer, to the point where he didn't notice Meera and Lyra (carefully not getting near Summer) coming out of the bedroom and were suddenly with him in the living room, also watching what he was watching.

"Dude," Lyra spoke. "I ship it."

Meera looked confused. "What in seven hells is going on?"

"Oh, Lya offered to help with the watering spikes," Bran explained. "And Jojen agreed."

"That's weird," Meera said, raising an eyebrow. "Jojen never even lets me touch those things. And now suddenly, Lya's an exception."

"Even better," Lyra smirked, then took out her phone and took a snapshot of Jojen and Lyanna tending to the plants. "I'm so telling Jory about this."

Suddenly, both Jojen and Lyanna turned to them.

"Tell Jory about what, Lyra?" Lya asked.

"Oh, nothing," Lyra said. "Don't worry about it, baby sis."

Meera turned to Lyra. "By the way, where is Jorelle?" She asked. "I thought she wanted to come with us."

"Jory is in Harrenhal," Lyra replied.

"With Arya," Bran added.

"Yes," Lyra agreed. "On some seminar to earn CPD credits. But don't worry, we'll see each other tomorrow."

"We'll be in Mt. Alarra and Jory's in Harrenhal," Bran pointed out. "How will we see each other tomorrow?"

"Stark, relax," Lyra said. "The seminar ended yesterday. Jory's probably on her way back North. And then she and her colleagues will be on a team-building exercise trekking Mt. Alarra tomorrow."

"Oh, nice." Meera then frowned turning to Bran. "Wait, if your sister is with Jory then—"

"Arya isn't an employee of _Stormbreaker Telecom_," Bran reminded her. "So I doubt she'll be there. I wouldn't worry about it."

And then the doorbell audio intercom buzzed, which meant their ride had arrived.

"I'll get it," Lyra volunteered as she ran to the audio intercom by the main door. She pressed a button and leaned closer. "Gwyn, Asher," She called. "It better be you guys."

_"Hello to you too, Lyra,"_ Gwyn's voice answered back. _"Can we come in?"_

"Hurry up!" Lyra removed her hand from the intercom and turned to them. "They're here."

A minute later, a knock came and Lyra opened the door. Gwyn and Asher came in.

"Hi guys," Gwyn greeted them cheerfully. Then she knelt and gently patted Summer's head. "Hello, Summer." She then narrowed her eyes and searched the place. "I thought you said everyone's here. Where's Jojen and Lya?" She asked.

"Babe," Asher called. "They're over there." He said, pointing at the balcony.

They all turned to see Jojen and Lyanna smiling and laughing together.

"Oh my gods!" Gwyn squealed. "Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?"

"We're not blind, Gwyn," Lyra said.

"You know what?" Meera spoke up. "I think I ship it too." She declared.

Lyra gave her a high five. "Nice!"

"Um, hello?" Gwyn raised her voice to for Jojen and Lyanna to hear.

Finally, Lya noticed and hugged Gwyn. "Gwyn, hey!"

"You had me nervous for a while there, baby bear," Gwyn said as she returned the same hug, then gave Jojen as fist bump. "Hey, Captain Planet."

"Captain Planet?" Lya repeated.

"It's what she calls me," Jojen explained. "Because of my plants."

Gwyn cleared her throat. "Anyways, guys," She said. "Our ride is waiting downstairs, and we have to go so we can arrive at Highpoint just in time for lunch."

"Hells, yeah!" Lyra cried, grabbing her trekking backpack. "Let's go."

As it turned out, Gwyn never really hired a van service. She had just made a simple phone call to her Dad and he sent their family chauffeur, Harys, and a white van.

They all got in and they drove off. But at around eleven most of them were already feeling hungry, so they had to stop at Winterfell for lunch.

"So," Gwyn spoke up. "Where are we eating?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Bran.

"Why are you all looking at me?" He asked.

"Stark, this is your hometown," Lya pointed out. "You should be the one suggesting where we would eat. Oh, wait! Do you still have that VIP card, right?" She asked.

"Of course," Bran said. "It's always in my wallet."

"Well, then—"

"Lya," Lyra interrupted. "If you're gonna say the _CARNEval_, I swear to the gods! I'll fucking climb a mountain first before I get raw meat that I have to cook by myself."

"_The Burger Lab_, then?" Lya suggested.

"That's fine," Bran said. "But I would suggest a branch away from _Stark Industries_ and the Capitol because if any of my siblings or our staff, or worse, my Mom and Dad, sees me, I'm dead. I never told anyone at home that I'm going mountain trekking."

Asher, who was sitting next to Gwyn on the row behind the driver, turned to him in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious, man," Bran said. "My Mom wouldn't allow it."

"Um," Meera spoke up. "Maybe we should just come up with a disguise for you, so you won't be recognized."

"Oh, you can wear my extra pair of reading glasses," Jojen brought up. "Its grade is just 0.25, so it won't give you a headache."

"That'll work," Asher agreed. "And I'll lend you one of my beanies."

"Boom!" Lyra said. "Problem solved. Now let's get out of here, I'm starving."

Harys had parked the van and they all got out and ate on _The Burger Lab_, in a branch on Winterfell's midtown district.

Bran considered it a smart choice because it's nowhere near the Capitol or _Stark Industries_, which are located on the uptown district.

Thankfully, The Burger Lab was a pet-friendly fast-casual restaurant chain so Summer was allowed inside. And as for Bran, he actually wore Jojen's glasses and Asher's beanie just so no one would recognize him.

"Why would anyone recognize him?" Gwyn asked.

Lyra snorted. "Oh, no, he's just a normal guy—HELLO?" She said, mockingly. "He's a fucking Stark of Winterfell!" She blurted out. "Of course, someone might recognize him."

They sat at the table and ordered their meals. Bran had his usual, the _Chemical Explosion Burger_, of course with extra onions and bacon, and with onion rings on the side with a spicy dip. He also ordered a pan of nacho fries for all of them and chicken nuggets for Summer.

"Oh, crap!" Bran cussed. "I totally forgot about Jojen being vegan. Sorry, man."

Jojen snorted. "It's fine, dude." He assured. "I eat the fries, just not the ground meat."

Then Summer started barking excitedly from his dog seat.

"What is it now, Summer?" Bran asked.

"Uh, oh, I think I know why." Lya suddenly blurted out, nearly choking out on her burger. "Guys, we have a problem."

"What kind of problem, baby bear?" Gwyn asked.

"If Bran doesn't want to be seen," Lya informed. "It's gonna be a big problem because I see the Stark wolf pup at ten o'clock."

They all turned to see what Lya meant, and Bran's eyes widened in surprise. _What in seven hells is he doing here?_ He mentally screamed.

Bran saw his younger brother, Rickon with his dog, Shaggy (of course, they were inseparable just like himself and Summer), and also with him were their chauffeur, Hullen, and their head of security, Jory Cassel.

He found it odd because Jory Cassel was always with his Dad, Ned Stark's entourage. But just as he thought about it, his Dad walked in, making Bran duck and hide.

"Oh my gods, it just took a turn," Lyra said. "Papa wolf is here too."

"Fuck, I need to get out of here." Bran declared, then glanced back at his brother and father from the restaurant doors, who were led by restaurant staff to an isolated glass-partitioned room where children's parties were booked to be celebrated.

Bran pulled out his VIP card and a one-hundred-gold dragon bill from his wallet and placed it on the table. "Just take care of it, I will be outside by the van." He said as he got Summer down from the dog seat and clipped the leash on his harness.

"I'm coming with you," Meera volunteered, then turned to the others. "Just please take care of it, you guys."

Thankfully, _The Burger Lab_ branch they had eaten in had two main doors, so Bran and Meera went out the other one and headed to the van with Summer.

"Branflakes," Meera spoke up. "I know you don't wanna be caught, but it seemed like it's more than that."

"Meera—" He started to say.

"Do you think I never saw the expression on your face when you saw your Dad walk in?" She pointed out. "You looked like you wanted to punch him."

Bran sighed. "I'm sorry about that." He said. "It's just…um, remember when I told you about when I asked my Dad what the rift was between him and your Dad and he just gave me the _that's a good question for another time_ bullshit?"

"You told me that last night."

"Well, it's actually my last conversation with him," He admitted. "Last Monday, before I helped Rickon with the requirements for enrollment. I left home angry."

"Bran," Meera said, gently grasping his arms. "You shouldn't be angry at your Dad."

"I just wanted him to know that happened with them back then is affecting us right now," Bran recalled. "And I get the most cliché answer ever."

"Look, it's obvious that we'll have to do some adjustments," Meera shrugged. "But we'll get to the bottom and fix it."

"I believe we will," Bran nodded. "It's just…I don't want it to go to a point where our families make us choose."

"Let's hope it won't get to that."

Bran caressed her cheek. "I love you so much."

She smiled. "I love you too."

Then he kissed her, right there in the middle of the parking lot.

They were laughing when they broke apart.

"It's weird that you always knew how to calm me down." Bran said.

Meera smirked. "Well, I believe it's now one of my talents." She fixed his glasses, the ones Jojen handed to him. "And honestly, with this disguise, you look like a programmer ready to hack into some classified government database."

Bran was so focused on Meera, that he didn't notice their other companions approaching them near the van.

Jojen cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt your moment, lovebirds," He said. "But we need to go."

"Oh, and if you're gonna ask," Lya spoke up. "No, your brother and father did not see us."

"Oh, and," Jojen added, handing Bran his VIP card and forty-three gold dragons. "Here's your VIP card and the change. You basically paid for our entire meal."

"Dude, don't worry," Asher interjected. "We'll pay you back."

Bran took back his VIP card and the change. "Don't sweat it, guys," He assured. "We're in Winterfell. This is my home turf, so just consider that meal as my treat." He then returned the stuff he borrowed for his disguise.

The route they used to get to Highpoint was through the _Howling Road_, with its official name being _Rickard's Road_ after Bran's grandfather, Rickard Stark, who had it constructed years ago. It was called the _Howling Road_ because travelers who pass the road often hear wolves howling. It's also one of the major access roads with the shortest route to the highland city.

The city of Highpoint is sitting on a plateau hill on the southern edge of the _Kings of Winter_ or the Northern Mountain range. Located at about two thousand meters above sea level.

Only then did Bran realize something. "Hey guys, if Highpoint is at the southern tip of the _Kings of Winter_, and we're hiking up to Mt. Alarra _from_ Highpoint, isn't it sort of, cheating?" He asked.

"Technically, yes," Gwyn confirmed. "From riding to Highpoint we're already halfway up to Mt. Alarra. But you know, no really cared about that. And it just made people firmly say that they actually climbed a mountain."

The entrance to Highpoint from the _Howling Road_ had a massive wolf's head carved on into part of its granite face of the hill. The _Wolf's Head_, Bran remembered, was a landmark and monument to his grandfather, who was killed in King's Landing long before he was born.

And the Mormonts insisted that they stop at the _Wolf's Head_ for pictures.

The ride up to Highpoint has picturesque views of the snowcapped mountains of the _Kings of Winter_, the lush vegetation and pine trees of the _Wolf Pines National Park_ (Which is located just below in the lowlands.

Gwyn and Asher were their sort of, unpaid tour guides.

"To your right," Gwyn said. "You see Ironrath, the town in the middle of the woods, as people would say."

"And, my hometown." Asher added, then pointed to the left. "To your far right, just by the shores of the Bay if Ice is Deepwood Motte. To your far left, is the metropolis capital of the North region, Winterfell. Below us is the _Wolf Pines National Park_ and—"

"Holy shit!" Bran exclaimed. "I can see our house from here."

He couldn't believe it. _Stark Manor_ is actually visible from the _Wolf's Head_ in Highpoint. Well, not really, it's just a tiny white spot, and it's covered by a few tall pine trees, but still.

"What?" All the others, except Gwyn and Asher, cried in disbelief.

"Dude," Asher continued. "I was just about to point that out. You _can_ see _Stark Manor_ from here, though it's not really visible in the morning than it is at night, because of the lighting."

Lyra and Lya took more pictures with their camera as Jojen turned to him.

"Your house has a name?" Jojen frowned. "I mean, I know it's the ancestral home of your family for countless generations, but is that really still a thing?"

"In this century, not anymore, little brother," Meera confirmed. "Unless it's a commercial building or a block of flats."

"Wait, if your house is centuries old," Gwyn spoke up. "It must be haunted, right?"

"Um, not that I know of," He admitted. "Plus, it's been renovated, retrofitted, and refurbished multiple times so…yeah."

"Aren't those three words the same?" Asher asked.

"No, they are not," Gwyn said.

"Yep, we would know," Meera added. "We're journalists."

Bran then took a closer look at the _Wolf's Head_ and noticed that there's a plaque on its pedestal.

The contents of the plaque said:

_The _Wolf's Head_ was carved into the face of the hill in protest for the deaths of ten Northmen during the King's Landing Bombing of 282 A.C. or famously known as the 'Massacre of Wolves'. Their deaths fanned flames of rage across the entire Northern region and almost led to a civil war until the person behind the bombing was rightfully sent to prison._

_Now, it stands as a monument symbolizing the justice these ten victims had attained:_

_Rickard Stark Brandon Stark_

_Martyn Cassel Willam Dustin_

_Ethan Glover Theo Wull_

_Mark Ryswell Kyle Royce_

_Elbert Arryn Jeffory Mallister_

Meera frowned at the plaque. "It's kinda weird that I see your name on it."

"That's my Uncle Brandon," Bran explained. "My Dad's older brother, I was only named after him."

"Hey, I was wondering," She said. "Why wasn't your older brother named after him? I mean, he was born like around that time."

Bran shrugged. "My Mom said she was still pregnant with Robb when my grandfather and uncle were killed. But my parents didn't name him after them because they've already decided on Robb's name." He explained. "So, they vowed to name their second-born after Uncle Brandon, hence, me. And according to my Uncle Benjen, Rickon's name is a combination of _Rickard_ and _Brandon_."

"Okay," Lyra called as she walked towards them. "I'm done taking pictures, let's go."

They went back in the van and drove into Highpoint proper then through an entrance arch that said, _Kings of Winter National Park and Preserve._

They reached the parking lot, which had about four cars parked. Not far from the parking lot, there's a small wooden cabin labeled, _Park Rangers' Station_.

There was also a large map and trailhead signs, to which the Mormonts had already taken a picture of, in case if they got lost.

A man in a park ranger uniform approached them. He was similarly dressed in their usual khaki outfit. But he had a sweater and a jacket over his collared polo shirt. He wore trousers instead of shorts and winter boots, despite being summer; and he also had a scarf around his neck. And obviously, their uniforms were modified because of Highpoint's colder climate.

"Hello friends," The park ranger greeted. "Welcome to the _Kings of Winter National Park and Preserve_, here at Highpoint."

As far as Bran can recall, there are three other entrances to the _Kings of Winter National Park and Preserve_. One is in the city of the Last Hearth, one is in the town of Long Lake just North of Winterfell, and the other is in the Gift.

It was Gwyn and Asher who were mostly the ones talking to the park ranger before they were asked to ride one of those electric shuttle carts.

At first, Summer seemed too scared to get into the shuttle cart. So Bran had to carry him, which got him a lot of _aww_s from the people present.

The park ranger told the driver, "Take these hikers to the _Mt. Alarra Camp 3_," He said, then turned to them. "Bryce here, will take you to your next destination."

As they rode, they saw other people doing their thing, either families and friends camping in the wilderness or co-workers doing team-building trust exercises.

"That looks fun," Bran spoke up.

"Seven hells, yeah it does, Stark!" Asher agreed. "But you know, we'll only gonna do the whole camping thing after we climb Mt. Alarra."

They hop off at someplace with a trailhead sign that said, _Mt. Alarra Camp 3_. And a smaller version of the wooden cabin similar to that of the park ranger's station.

Another park ranger came to greet them, a woman this time. "Hello, hikers," She greeted. "My name is Alyssa, but you can call me Aly. Welcome to _Mt. Alarra's Camp 3_. It's named such because we are currently standing midway from the foot mountain to its summit."

"Okay, since I just saw you riding the shuttle," The park ranger, Aly pointed out. "I take it that you entered the park from Highpoint."

"Yes, we did," Gwyn confirmed. "It's easier and I'm a local."

"Well, anyway," Aly continued. "There are six camps from the foot to the summit. And we're on camp three. So, halfway there. And in each hike, it's mandatory that we assign a guide."

A guy came out from the cabin. He was all dressed up for a hike, carrying a hiking stick and nothing else but a sling shoulder bag with a bottled water on it.

"I'll take it from here, Aly," Their guide said, before flashing them with a smile. "Hello, hikers. My name is Gilwood and I will be your guide to the summit. And—" He faltered then frowned at Gwyn. "Gwyn?"

Gwyn looked confused at first, then her jaw dropped. "Oh my gods!" She squealed. "Gilwood, it's been a long time." She said as she gave their guide a hug.

"Uh, babe," Asher interrupted. "You know this guy?"

"Yeah," Gwyn replied. "He's a friend from high school. Oh, by the way," She introduced them to their guide. "This is my boyfriend, Asher Forrester, and our friends," Then she gestured to the others. "That's Lyra and Lyanna Mormont, Meera and Jojen Reed, and Bran Stark. And the dog is Summer."

"Holy crap," Gilwood said in awe. "Who knew your friends have big names. And is it legal to adopt a wolf?"

"Technically, Summer's not a wolf," Bran explained. "He's just a mixed breed of large dogs."

"Big?" Lyra repeated. "Did you really have to use that word?"

"The Mormonts produces electric power through the entire North," Gilwood recalled. "The Reeds had the only berries plantation in Westeros and the Starks, well, they _are_ the North." He turned to Bran. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're probably related to Ned Stark."

"Dude," Jojen interjected. "Ned Stark is his Dad."

Gilwood's eyes widened, then cleared his throat. "Okay, um, maybe should start hiking." He said. "Anyways, the average time hike from the foot of the mountain to the summit is six hours. But since we're already in Camp 3, it's just a three-hour hike to the summit."

"How many camps do we have to pass?" Lya asked.

"There are six camps from the base to the summit," Gilwood explained. "We're already at Camp 3, which means there are three more. These camps are rest stops for hikers. There's a store if they need food and water, extra t-shirts and jackets, whatever you need. A restroom for potty breaks and each camp also has an assigned Advanced Paramedic for health emergencies."

"Now, when you go hiking," Gilwood continued. "You have to be alert at all times and be careful. Because there are times that the paths are narrow and right beside a cliff. As for flora and fauna, there's not much of that here except for a few pines trees and it's just foggy when it's colder than normal. I mean it's always cold, but the temperature usually varies in the time of day. Afternoon hikes are better than morning hikes. Well, at least, in the North because there isn't much sun here."

"What's wrong with morning hikes?" Meera asked.

"There's usually fog along the trail," Gilwood replied. "And most recoded accidents that have happened here were on morning hikes. Caused by the fog blocking their way or the cold temp."

Before they started hiking, they were asked to sign a waiver. It had something about the _Kings of Winter National Park and Preserve_ _is not responsible for any deaths_ or something.

It was around 2pm when they started hiking from _Camp 3_ up to the summit. The path to _Camp 4 _to_ Camp 5_ was particularly dangerous, it had the narrowest path and there are times that it was beside a cliff. In fact, Lyanna had a misstep and almost fell into the chasm. But luckily for all of them, Jojen was able to grab hold of her.

"Seven fucking hells, Lya," Lyra said, hugging her younger sister tight. "You need to be careful. I'm not ready to lose a sister and especially not to a fucking mountain."

"Hey, Gilwood," Lyra called as they went back to hiking. "Did you guys have casualties in hiking?"

"For the last twenty years, we've had twenty-seven casualties," Gilwood informed. "Twenty major and minor injuries and seven deaths. Twelve of those were either cuts, scrapes, or bruises, the other eight were hypothermia and frostbites. As for the deaths, hypothermia or they have fallen off the cliff. And those records are only on Mt. Alarra. There are more on the other mountains in the _Kings of Winter_, especially on _Brandon's Peak_." He explained. "They even have a zone called the _Iridescent Valley_, because of the colorful jackets and hiking equipment of those who died."

After that incident, Meera had made sure Jojen was close to her, especially since the dropping temperatures kept fogging up her brother's eyeglasses. As for Bran, his hands were already full. He has one hand on Summer's leash and the other holding Meera's hand.

"What did they do with the bodies?" Bran asked. "I mean if they died while hiking, do they get the bodies or...?"

"That depends on the victims' families," Gilwood replied. "The ones who died of hypothermia here on Mt. Alarra, had died on the summit camp. They mostly ask to take the body back to Camp 3, and from Highpoint, back to their families. But it costs a fortune to do that, and the ones assigned to remove the bodies are also exposed to fatalities. They could die from trying to recover a body too. As for the ones on _Brandon's Peak_, most of the bodies were just left there in the _Iridescent Valley_."

Meera cringed. "That's a pretty ironic name for piles of dead and frozen bodies."

It was around 5pm when they reached the summit Camp. The wooden cabin at the summit was called _Summit Six_. It was the only thing with electricity up there and they were allowed to rent items they can use for camping.

Since Bran had brought a tent that can accommodate five people and Asher also had a tent that can accommodate four people, they didn't rent tents anymore. All they rented was a grill to cook their dinner and breakfast.

The camping ground looked like it was in the middle of a seasonal transition from winter to spring because it had patches of melting snow on the ground. They had quickly made camp and sat up their tents before the sun went down.

While setting up their tents, Summer played and rolled around the patches of snow on the ground.

"Isn't it too cold for him?" Meera asked.

"Nah, he loves snow," Bran said. "Contrary to his name, winter is his favorite season."

After setting up camp, Gilwood had gone to the _Summit Six_ and reminded them that if they need some help of any sort, they should not hesitate to call him.

They also did not miss the opportunity to take pictures before it became dark.

As the night fell, the Northern lights began to be visible in the sky. Yes, they were visible in the North, but not visible by anyone south of Winterfell so naturally, the Reeds were in awe.

"It's breathtaking," Jojen said. "And it's not fair that you only get to see these in the Northern part of the North."

It was also starting to get colder so they made a campfire as their source of heat. They also made the fire close to the tents for warmth when they sleep.

Asher and Gwyn grabbed some sticks from their campfire to stoke the grill for their food. While the others were roasting marshmallows for s'mores.

They surrounded the campfire. From Bran to his right, were Meera, Jojen, Lyanna, Lyra, Gwyn, and on Bran's left was Asher. And between them was Summer, lying on his patch of snow.

Also while they were waiting for dinner, they played _Talking Points_ with content prepared by Lyra. Their version is placing rolled pieces of strip paper in a small jar. Each one of them has to draw one, read the question aloud and everyone has to answer. And after the question is read, they throw it at the fire.

"Oh, I'll take the first one," Lyanna said as she picked a rolled piece of paper from the jar. She was about to read it but frowned and turned to her sister. "These are the questions? Really? What the fuck? It's kinda lame. Though, I'm a fan of this—"

"Lya, just read the question," Lyra interrupted. "And toss it into the fire before you and all of us will answer it."

"Fine," Lya shrugged. "Round goes counter-clockwise." She cleared her throat and read aloud. "_What is your Hogwarts House?_"

"Hey, that's not a lame question," Jojen commented.

"Thank you, Jojen," Lyra said.

Lya glared at Jojen. "Don't start with me, Reed." She took a deep breath before talking again. "Anyways, I'm a Ravenclaw."

"I'm a Slytherin," Lyra answered.

"Wow, somehow I'm not surprised," Gwyn chuckled. "I'm a Hufflepuff. And no matter how much I tried taking quizzes to get into Gryffindor, they always sorted me to Hufflepuff. So, that's that. And I've learned to embrace it."

"Babe," Asher spoke up as he flipped shish kebabs on the grill. "Too many side stories. Anyways, I'm a Gryffindor—the brave and courageous." He turned to Bran. "What about you, Stark?"

"Well, I'm a Ravenclaw," Bran answered. "And honestly, it didn't really matter to me which house I was sorted into, each one has their own special trait that everyone wishes they have." He turned to Meera. "You're next."

"I'm a Gryffindor," Meera blurted out.

"Hey," Asher beamed, then he gave Meera a fist bump. "Didn't know there's a fellow Gryffindor in here. Is your brother the same?" He asked.

"Nope," Jojen replied. "I'm actually a Ravenclaw."

"Wow," Lyra clapped her hands. "So we have three nerds, two braves and righteous, one who is too nice to hurt other people's feelings and—"

"One who is cunning and ambitious," Lyanna finished.

Lyra glared at her sister.

"What?" Lya shrugged. "It's a Slytherin trait. And you just called me a nerd."

Lyra rolled her eyes and took the jar from her sister. "Okay, next question." She pulled a piece of paper and read, _"If you could bring back one deceased family member, who would it be and why?"_

"Ooh, that's a good one," Gwyn said.

Lya made a face. "How come you get the meaningful ones?"

Lyra raised her hand. "Baby sis, we just started, okay?" She held the jar and shook it. "There's still a lot for questions left." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I want to bring back…my Dad because after he died my sisters and I didn't really have a father figure because Mom never remarried. And I wish he could've seen us grow up." She turned to Gwyn. "What about you, Gwyn?"

"My Mom," Gwyn answered. "She died when I was five, after giving birth to our youngest brother, Gryff. And growing up, I was the only girl in the family. I didn't have a mother so I mostly had to figure girly stuff by myself."

Asher started placing the shish kebabs on paper plates. "My brother, Rodrik," He said. "The last time I saw him was when my entire family was sending me off to study in Essos."

"Wait," Lya interrupted. "You studied in Essos?"

Asher shrugged. "It's a long story. Rodrik was someone I looked up to. He wasn't just my brother, he was my bestfriend too. And it pissed me off that he died defending a stranger from being mugged."

At that point, Gwyn grabbed hold of Asher's arm and gently squeezed it. "Don't get tears on the shish kebabs, babe." She said.

Asher chuckled and nodded at Bran. "What about you, Stark?"

If he was asked that question weeks ago, Bran wouldn't know what to answer. But after everything he and Meera had just figured out and the other things their Dads had been hiding, there's only one person who can answer all of his questions.

"My Aunt Lyanna," Bran blurted out.

Gwyn, Asher, and Jojen's expressions were like, _mmkay_. The Mormonts and Meera were mostly curious and surprised like, _Really, why?_

Lya made a face at him. "Your aunt who looks like Arya?"

"Yeah, her." He confirmed. "For three things. First, it'd be awesome if Jon had at least one parent back. Second, I wanna sit her and Arya beside each other to, you know, spot the difference. And lastly, she's probably the only person who can answer all the questions that have been bothering me for that last week." He turned to Meera. "Stardust?"

Meera cleared her throat. "Not just one person," She said. "My grandparents, I've never met them. And I heard grandkids are always spoiled by their grandparents."

"Yeah," Jojen agreed. "Same answer. I wonder how that's like."

Lyra turned to her sister. "Baby sis?"

"Also, Dad," Lya replied. "Because between the five of us, I'm the only one who hasn't actually met him."

Bran frowned. "I thought your Dad died when you were five."

"Aly was five," Lya corrected. "I was five months…in the womb, Stark. He died before I was even born. But you know, it's life."

"Okay," Gwyn said, taking the jar from Lyra. "My turn," She shook the jar before taking a piece of paper and read it aloud. _"When was your saddest/lowest point and how did you overcome it?"_

"Ooh," Gwyn muttered, then tossed the paper into the fire. "These questions are getting deep. Um, I think…it was when Asher and I struggled to stay together since everyone, especially our families, were trying to break us up."

"What?" Everyone except Asher exclaimed.

"Struggled?" Meera repeated.

Lyra narrowed her eyes at Gwyn. "How did you not mention it to me or Meera?"

"Look," Gwyn said. "I just…don't wanna dwell on the past. It's all good now."

"Yeah, it's my answer too." Asher agreed. "We were Romeo and Juliet, except for the dying part. Our families were rivals of some sort, that we don't even know the reason behind their squabble."

At that point in Asher's story, Bran exchanged glances with Meera, then she clung onto his arm tight, like she's afraid that he might remove her hand.

"They even sent me off to study in Essos," Asher continued. "Just so I would be far away from Gwyn. Other stuff happened too, my brother died in the Crossing. I dropped out and transferred to the _University of White Harbor_ without their knowledge until I graduated, of course. I, honestly don't even remember how they managed to patch things up but now, it's all good."

Bran once again glanced at Meera. "Dude, I think we're getting there." He blurted out.

Asher frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Bran sighed. "The whole family rivals thing," He said. "Well, actually it's just my Dad and her Dad, not our Moms or siblings."

"Wait, what?" Jojen interjected. "What in seven hells are you talking about?" He turned to his sister. "How come Dad never mentioned anything?"

"Obviously, he didn't want us to be involved." Meera said.

"Yeah," Bran made a face. "But that's not exactly how my Dad thinks. He's already told me to stay away from the Reeds and it's total bullshit if you ask me."

"Oh, seven hells, no," Lyra grumbled. "No one can fucking tell you that. Not even Ned Stark."

Jojen shook his head in disbelief. "I'm gonna talk to Dad when we get home."

"Don't sweat it, little brother," Meera said. "I've already tried that, but nothing."

Lya threw her hands in frustration. "What is the deal with parents nowadays? Don't they want us to be happy or not? What the fuck."

"Wait, wait," Gwyn raised her hand. "So what was…what were they fighting about?"

"That's the thing," Meera answered. "We don't know. And if we ask, they just gave us the _that's a good question for another time_ crap."

"But," Bran added. "I think it has something to do with my Aunt Lyanna."

"How can you be sure?" Asher asked.

"Meera found a news article," Bran said.

"Yes," Meera confirmed. "I overheard my Dad talking to my Mom about someone named _Lya_ who died in a snowstorm in Moat Cailin twenty-five years ago." She recalled. "Then I thought if it's an accident in a snowstorm, it would be reported in the news, right? So I did some digging, and found a _Northern Herald_ article about it."

"What did it say?" Lyra asked.

"It was about Lyanna Stark," Meera explained. "And it was said that she was borrowed my Dad's car to get to White Harbor, but she died in Moat Cailin because of a snowstorm."

Jojen leaned forward. "And?"

"And nothing," Meera replied. "That's the only lead we have. We don't know how deep this went, how many people are involved," She shrugged. "We're all in the dark."

"Well, we gotta something," Jojen insisted, then shrugged. "I like Bran and Meera seems happier when he's around, so there's no way I'm putting a stop to that."

"Aww," Gwyn swooned. "I wish my brothers were that supportive."

"You know what," Lya spoke up. "I agree with Jojen. We have to do something. I mean, if I'm gonna be a bridesmaid to their wedding—"

"Whoa!" Lyra interrupted. "How in seven hells did you get to a wedding?"

Lyanna shrugged. "I'm just pointing out that relationships usually last longer when you trust each other a hundred percent and think long-term, right?"

"I agree, baby bear." Gwyn nodded. "Trust is vital, I would say."

"Or," Lyra sneered at her sister. "You're just saying that because you wanna be paired to Jojen on Meera's wedding."

All of them cheered, much to Lyanna and Jojen's dismay.

"That's a wonderful idea," Meera considered it, earning a glare from Jojen.

"What the fuck?" Lya complained. "Really?"

"Oh, come on," Lyra said, repeatedly poking her sister's shoulder. "He saved you from falling off a cliff, it's the least you can do."

"Damn, I ship it." Gwyn smiled.

And at that point, Jojen and Lyanna had scooted farther from each other and were obviously blushing.

"We're totally sidetracking," Lya reminded them. "Let's go back to the questions in the jar."

"Right," Asher spoke up, facing Bran."Dude, you probably don't know what to do about it. It's fine, I know that feeling, I went there. But you just gotta do what you think and believe is right," Asher continued. "In the right sense, of course. Because at the end of the day, life's what we make it and things will always get better."

Bran nodded. "Thanks, man." He said. "I needed that."

"Hey, look at me and Gwyn," Asher smiled at his girlfriend.

"Yeah," Gwyn agreed. "We pulled through. And I know you and Meera will as well."

Bran turned to Meera and he was glad that she was already smiling at him. "Don't worry, Stardust," He said, grabbing Meera's hand and gently squeezed it. "I already told you this, I'm tell you again. I'm not gonna let some old family feud stop us. And I promise that I won't give up on what we have because I love you."

Lya gasped. "Oh my gods, he said the L-word."

Lyra elbowed her sister. "You're ruining the moment."

Meera booped his nose. "I love you too, Branflakes."

"Alright," Asher interrupted. "Enough of this sadness stuff. Let's just eat dinner."

"Finally!" Lya said. "I'm starving."

"Ooh," Jojen rubbed his hands together. "That smells good."

Everyone stared at him.

"Dude, I thought you were vegan." Asher recalled.

"I am," Jojen confirmed. "And you're stereotyping me again. Meat smells good when you cook it, not gonna lie. I just don't eat it. So you better have something for me."

"Of course, man," Asher assured took one of the paper plates he and Gwyn had prepared and handed it to Jojen. "Tofu and fruit kebabs for you."

Gwyn and Asher had then distributed the paper plates to them. They even prepared some for Summer, which he was excited about and immediately munched on. And Bran was thankful for the fact that Asher had the sticks removed for his dog.

"Alright," Gwyn spoke up. "Talking points can resume later, but for now, let's dig in." She raised her paper plate. "Bon appétit everyone."

As they ate their dinner, Lyra found a way to tease Lya to Jojen. Lya kept giving Lyra glares, but nothing seemed to scare her.

Afterwards, they continued playing _Talking Points_ with the most ridiculous questions like, _if you were to choose another profession besides what you have now what would it be?_ Or _if they could migrate to someplace other than the North where would it be?_ Or _what inscription would they put on their gravestone?_ Or _which place would you first go in a zombie apocalypse? Or if you could invent something that could help humanity what would it be? _Or _what is your comfort food?_ Or _what do most people think about you that is absolutely not true?_ And or what were their phobias or zodiac signs.

It was weird enough to know that Asher would've been a chef or that Gwyn wanted to visit Oldtown or that Jojen wanted to put _Unable to Respawn_ on his gravestone and plant poison ivy around it. Lyra would first go to a hardware store in a zombie apocalypse to gather supplies and Lyanna would want to invent a truth serum because it'll make court proceedings easier. Meera's comfort food is ice cream and that everyone's first impression of Bran, whenever he introduced himself, was that he was some spoiled rich kid.

It was already about 2am when they all decided to sleep. Lyra insisted that the girls use Bran's tent since it could accommodate five people and the boys use Asher's tent because it could accommodate four people.

"And," Lyra continued. "Also so I can guarantee that no fornication will be happening."

The boys' tent was slightly open just so Bran can tend to Summer who stood as their guard.

The following morning it was Asher who got up first so he can cook them all breakfast. Bran only woke up because Summer kept howling. Not long after, the girls and Jojen got up for breakfast.

Their surroundings were misty and foggy from the cold morning. Thankfully, Asher had lit the campfire again even though there was daylight.

Asher had grilled hotdogs before putting them on buns and adding ketchup.

"Those are vegan-safe, right?" Jojen asked.

"Oh," Asher handed Jojen a paper plate with two hotdogs on buns. "I thought you were gonna say that. These are tofu dogs, by the way. Gwyn kept reminding me that you're vegan when we were buying food."

Jojen smiled. "Thanks, man. I thought you've forgotten about me."

Summer was also given hotdogs and Bran mixed it with the Ziploc of dogfood he brought. But after Summer finished his breakfast, he started barking excitedly at the foggy trail from that led to _Camp 5_.

"Hey, Stark," Lyra called. "Is your dog okay?"

Bran had placed Summer on a leash and clipped its end to a tie-out stake he had nailed to the ground.

"Summer," Bran said as he gently patted Summer's hide. "What's wrong, buddy?"

Summer kept restraining until the end of the leash snapped and he ran towards the foggy trail.

"Summer!" Bran called as he stood and started to follow his dog. "Oh, shit!"

Meera grabbed his hand. "Hey, where are you doing?" She demanded.

"I have to find him." He insisted. "He might've sensed something," He sighed. "I don't know. I'll be back, I promise."

"I'll go with you," Jojen volunteered.

"Me too," Lyanna agreed.

"Lya—" Lyra spoke up.

"You won't understand, Lyra," Lya argued. "Just let me be."

"I'm going too," Asher said. "You girls stay here."

Bran led the way as Asher, Jojen and Lyanna followed him, calling out Summer's name.

They walked for about ten minutes on the trail when they heard screams, making Lya clutch on to Jojen's arm.

Jojen glanced at her, but he didn't swat her hands away and instead comforted her. "It's okay."

_Wolf!_ They heard someone yell further down the path. Summer was always mistaken as a wolf by most people to the point where they even ask him if it was legal to own a wolf as a pet. And now, Summer may have frightened a group of hikers trekking towards the summit.

"Oh, no," Bran muttered, then trudged down the trail. "SUMMER!" He called for his dog.

Asher, Jojen, and Lyanna called out Summer's name too, but he's no sight of him.

Bran looked around, trying to see past the mist. "Summer!" He cried.

That's when they heard barking again. And Bran was sure it was his dog.

"Summer?" He called out again.

A few meters down the path, Bran started to see people, hikers looking panicked and scared to which he assumed that Summer had scared the living daylights out of them.

He spotted Summer barking excitedly near a girl in a white parka jacket, who was probably the one holding his leash.

_Oh, thank the gods_, Bran thought.

But as he got closer, he began to notice who the girl was. Bran's eyes widened and he stopped at his tracks.

"Hello, little brother," The girl greeted.

Bran had to blink to make sure he wasn't imagining it, but nope, it was definitely her. He recognized the blue highlights in her hair—it was his sister, Arya.

Asher, Jojen, and Lya stood by his side and they probably looked confused and surprised.

Arya raised an eyebrow at them. "What the fuck are you all doing up here?" She demanded.

Before any of them could say anything, Lyanna spoke up. "Arya?"

Arya nodded at her. "What's up, namesake?"

_Of course,_ Bran thought. Technically, Arya's full name is _Arya Lyanna_, meaning Lyanna Mormont is her namesake.

Arya had then nodded at Asher and Jojen's direction. "Forrester, Reed." She snorted. "This is a weird coincidence."

A tall, muscular guy went to stand beside Arya and leaned down to her ear level. "You know these people?" He asked.

Only then did Bran notice that the muscular guy was Gendry Baratheon, President Robert Baratheon's firstborn son. Suddenly, a hundred questions just popped into his head. _How and when in seven hells did Arya started hanging out with him?_

"Of course," Arya assured. "This is my brother, Bran." She pointed at Bran. "Summer is his dog." Then gestured to the others with him. "And friends, that's Asher, Jojen, and Lya."

"Lya?" A familiar girl's voice repeated from a few meters behind Arya.

Bran could see someone pushed passed a few hikers. As the person got closer, he recognized who it was: Jorelle Mormont.

"Hey, sis," Lyanna greeted.

Instead of Jorelle being happy to see her younger sister, she looked pissed. "What the fuck?" She exclaimed. "You didn't wait for me? This is all Lyra's doing, right?"

Lyanna rolled her eyes. "Will you calm down and stop complaining? We're all here now, aren't we?"

Arya cleared her throat. "Alright, Mormonts," She said. "Let's cut the chitchat and just continue hiking to the _Summit Six_, please?" She turned to the others who were just watching them. "Everyone, it's all good."

"Alright," Some guy who looked like a guide. "_Stormbreaker Team 1_, follow me," He went up the path and about nine hikers followed him. "This way to _Summit Six_."

A few others stayed as the first group went ahead.

Bran took a deep breath before speaking. "Thanks, by the way," He said as he tried to get Summer's snapped leash.

Arya pulled it far from his reach. "You didn't answer my question," She insisted. "What are you doing here?"

Bran shrugged. "What do you think?" He replied. "You think we'd come up here for grocery shopping?"

Arya glared at him. "Ha-ha." She then handed him Summer's leash.

Bran knelt and scratched Summer's neck. "You scared me a moment there, buddy."

Then Nymeria lunged at him, knocking him to the ground and licked his face.

"Ow," He complained, then pushed Nymeria's snout away from him. "Yeah, yeah, I miss you too, Nym."

Gendry chuckled. "Do your dogs always do that?" He asked.

"Yeah," Arya replied. "Sometimes, they're a little too friendly."

When the guide on Arya's group told them that they should go, they all followed.

Turns out, Asher, Jojen, and some guy Bran recognized to be Harald Karstark were good friends, so they walked alongside them going uphill. Lyanna also walked alongside her sister, Jorelle.

Bran walked beside his sister and Gendry, with Summer and Nymeria on leashes.

"So," Arya spoke up. "How did you make Mom and Dad give you permission to go hiking?" She asked.

"They don't even know I'm here," He admitted. "And don't tell them I'm here. What about you? And aren't you supposed to be in Harrenhal?"

"It's Labor day, little brother," Arya reminded him. "The seminar is over and Gendry invited me to go hiking with them."

"That's right," Gendry confirmed. "We're doing a team-building exercise. And I picked Arya up from your house."

Bran frowned at his sister. "Wait, so Mom and Dad allowed you to go hiking?"

"Not exactly," Arya admitted. "Mom didn't, of course. And there's no surprise there, she never lets us do anything fun. But Dad did," She shrugged. "For a price."

"Oh my gods, what price are we talking about here?"

"That I supervise the _Winter Rose Foundation_ on Jon's behalf and other stuff," Arya said. "You, however, are in big trouble."

"Let's not go there." He insisted. "That's only part of the trouble I'm in if Dad finds out who I'm hiking with."

Arya turned to him with a concerned and confused expression on her face. "Little bro, we have a lot to talk about. But save it for later after I'll have a chat with Meera at _Summit Six_."

He frowned. "Wait, how did you know—?"

"Why else would her brother be here?" She said.


	11. Boiling Point

**BRAN**

Thankfully, Arya promised she won't tell their parents that they went mountain trekking and had met at Mount Alarra. At least, for now.

Bran and company had hiked down from Mt. Alarra just as some employees of _Stormbreaker Telecom_ and his sister Arya had pitched their tents in the camping ground at _Summit Six_.

He didn't go directly home to Winterfell even though it was just technically below and an hour-ride from Highpoint. Partly, because he had left his car in the _Aquamarine_ in White Harbor, but mostly, because he didn't know how to face his Dad again, considering their parting ways was kinda sour.

He arrived home on Saturday afternoon, with six boxes of pizza and a large-sized _Bucket o' Fries_—which Rickon had practically labeled as his, but Robb says otherwise.

Bran also didn't have a proper conversation about the whole feud thing with his Dad. But he was surprised when his Mom came to talk about it when she came into his room one night after eating dinner.

He was reading a book trying to distract himself from all the things that bothered him in the last few days when a knock from his bedroom door came.

It was his Mom, Catelyn. She then invited herself in with a plateful of food and a mug of a warm drink of some sort. Of course, Bran knew what it meant: there's going to be an important discussion.

"Bran," His Mom said. "I brought you brownies and warm milk." She then placed the things she brought on his nightstand before sitting next to him on his bed.

"I'm not hungry, Mom." He insisted.

"Your Dad told me about your last conversation," Catelyn said. "And you haven't talked since."

Bran closed his book. "He told me to stay away from the Reeds," He said. "And he never explained why. How do you even tell someone to do something and not explain why?"

"There are things in the past that we shouldn't dig up again," His Mom said. "Memories that are long forgotten and painful."

"Oh, I already know, Mom," Bran prompted. "Dad wouldn't tell me anything so I did some digging. It's Aunt Lyanna. Dad cut ties with the Reeds because he blamed them for her death. You said so yourself, it's all in the past. Meera and I—we didn't even know they're on a feud. I just think that Dad shouldn't have to drag our entire family to his battle. And the worst part, he's telling me to stay away from someone I love."

Catelyn turned to him with wide eyes, clearly surprised.

"I love Meera, Mom," He declared. "And I don't want Dad and her Dad's squabble to get between us."

His Mom gave him a sad smile and cupped his chin. "Don't worry, Brandon," She assured. "I'll talk to your Dad about it." She then cleared her throat. "Anyways, when will the reviews start?"

"Tomorrow," He replied. "Also, it's a six-month review. I honestly, didn't anticipate that it's going to be that long, but it's the shortest amount of time for a review qualified to take the board exams. So since we're already in the middle of the year, I'll have to take it in January next year."

It was true. Bran signed up in the review center while he was in White Harbor with Rickon and he thought the shortest amount of time they allowed was three months, but nope, it's actually six months.

When he told his sister Arya about it while they were trekking to the camping ground at Mount Alarra, she freaked out. _WHAT?!_ Arya had exclaimed. _Six months? What the fuck am I supposed to do in six months?!_

He only reminded her that she promised their Dad that she'd be supervising the _Winter Rose Foundation_, a non-government organization founded by their Aunt Lyanna. It'll be something that'll keep her busy since she didn't wanna do some freelance designing.

Catelyn nodded. "Alright, then you better get some sleep." She said as she stood. "Right after you finish your food and milk. And Bran, while I talk to your Dad, please keep a low profile about it, okay?"

"Yes, Mom," He smiled. "And thank you."

Catelyn kissed him good night before heading out of his room.

. . .

Everything turned out okay, at least, in that whole six months. Bran was mostly in White Harbor and he would still see Meera more often, which would always make his day brighter. But when the fall came and Rickon's school term started, both Bran and Meera had to compromise since he still didn't completely trust his brother and there's a chance that he might expose them unintentionally.

The first three months his daily review schedule was 9am-6pm, but the schedule changed when the schools started the term. It became 8am-5pm, but Rickon doesn't know that. So basically, he had one hour with Meera before going home to the _Aquamarine_ on the weekdays. They would mostly be in Meera's flat or eat dinner at someplace. And they would occasionally make out or do the deed.

And it was also him and Meera who discovered Jojen's secret relationship with the youngest Mormont girl. They caught them making out on the couch one afternoon. Apparently, they use Meera's flat as their meeting place.

It was on one Friday afternoon, Meera had taken a half-day leave because she was gonna be cooking for her parents' anniversary. And Bran had just wanted to get out of the review center because it had been a stressful week, so he volunteered to help her. They went grocery shopping before going to Meera's flat to prepare the food. And at that time, they didn't know that they were in for another surprise and saw something they did not expect to see.

Jojen was on the couch, making out with a girl who was sitting on his lap. And the girl was Lyanna Mormont.

Meera nearly dropped the bag of groceries when she saw them. Bran's eyes widened as both he and Meera cussed simultaneously.

"What the fuck?" She exclaimed.

"Holy shit!" He said, dumbfounded.

Jojen snapped his arms back, pulling away from Lyanna. And they both stood before them.

"I can explain," Jojen spoke up.

Meera shrugged. "Please." She said before placing the groceries on the dining table and turning back to her brother. "Because I'm compelled to tell you that this is my flat. And you brought a girl here _without_ my permission—even though it's Lya Mormont—but still! It's not okay for you to turn my flat into your…tȇté à tȇté chamber."

"Wow," Lya said in awe. "That was some ample usage of words."

"I'm a journalist," Meera replied. "I'm required to have an extensive vocabulary."

Jojen explained that it started after they went trekking on Mount Alarra. It was Lyanna who made the first move saying she knew a fast-casual restaurant where the menu was exclusively vegetarian. And as they hung out, they figured out that have a lot in common and started going out on more dates until it became serious enough to be a relationship.

"Wow," Bran finally said, then narrowed his eyes at Jojen. "I thought you said Lya was the grumpy one among the Mormonts."

Lya turned to Jojen with an eyebrow raised. "Wait, what?"

"Uh," Jojen scratched his head and fixed his eyeglasses. "That was something I said when you told me off once when we were still in the Uni." He turned to Bran. "Also, I take back what I said about her being the grumpy one. That was before I actually got to know her." He smiled at Lya. "She's wonderful."

Lya's facial expression softened, then shrugged. "And as you know, I'm kind of attracted to nerds."

Meera slowly nodded, half-heartedly smiling. "Alright, I'm all for this. But why did you not tell us?"

Lya suddenly became uneasy, then sighed. "It's my fault. I told Jojen to keep it a secret because I can't stand my sisters teasing me, especially after the whole thing at Mt. Alarra."

Bran remembered when Summer had escaped from his leash and he went after him with Lya, Jojen, and Asher, and they ran into _Stormbreaker Telecom_ employees, plus his sister, Arya on their team-building exercise.

Lyra had told Jorelle about Lyanna and Jojen being all sweet to each other, and according to Lyanna, the teasing never stopped to this day.

"It's just…" Lya said. "I'm looking for the right time."

Bran crossed his arms. "And when _is_ the right time?" He asked.

Lya shrugged. "I don't know yet," She said. "But…we'll get there."

Then Meera squealed and hugged them both. "Can I just say: Finally!" She smirked. "Oh, and your secret's safe with us."

Technically, both Bran and Meera didn't have to. Because the following day after their tȇté à tȇté chamber in the flat, Lyanna's older sisters, Lyra and Jorelle caught them together when Jojen was walking Lya home from 'visiting a friend'. And well, the rest is history. Although, Bran had his suspicions that Maege Mormont was having second thoughts about one of her daughters dating a Reed boy, just because she and the Mormonts are very good friends of the Starks.

. . .

Flash forward to six months, Bran took the exam and passed with flying colors. By flying colors, it meant topping the actual board exams. And it also meant that he was whitelisted by numerous construction companies in Westeros to work for them. His e-mail was bombarded by offers of higher salaries, flexible work schedules, and even a company vehicle for transportation. But despite the generous offers, Bran had turned them all down because he was starting one with his sister, Arya.

Speaking of Arya, she seemed to be busy and enjoying her job with the _Winter Rose Foundation_. When she went home from the job on her first day, she cried. Like, literally cried with tears and all. Because she had just come from the slums of downtown Winterfell and did not know that a lot of people really needed help. _How the fuck am I supposed to calm down when a family of twelve people is living in a house half the size of my bathroom?_ Arya had yelled at Sansa when she told their sister to calm down. _I have to do something._ And she freaked out when some of the elderly people in one of the assisted living facilities called her _Lyanna_.

Also, later that same year, Robb married his girlfriend, Talisa Maegyr. They met all because of Theon. At a frat party, when Robb and Theon were seniors in college, a drunken Theon was dared to do a backflip from the host frat's backyard pergola and into the pool. Robb had tried to stop him but as stubborn as Theon was, he still did it. And since he was drunk, the backflip never happened and he just fell and hit his arm hard on the pool's tanning ledge. Robb was forced to bring Theon to the nearest hospital, and that's where he met Talisa. Talisa was doing her internship before graduating from Medical school, and it was also her first nightshift.

Talisa is from a wealthy family, descended from nobles of old—just like the Starks were—, in the Free City of Volantis. She has a younger brother and she's the only doctor in their family of accountants. And after she exchanged marriage vows with Robb in the Winterfell Sept, she came to live with them in Stark Manor. So besides their house staff, six of them were regular residents: Their Mom and Dad, Robb, his wife Talisa, and their two sisters, Arya and Sansa.

Furthermore, when Bran passed the boards, that's when they started their construction company. The construction company, they named the _Northern Alliance Builders_, because their suppliers and Bran and Arya themselves were Northerners. Also, Robb, as CEO of _Stark Industries_, handed all projects under the _Alpha & Luna Properties_ and _Starkgrand Coffee_ branches for them to plan, design and build.

At first, their projects were exclusively in the North because they only have a small number of employees. As the business boomed, they decided to expand and hired more employees. And because they had reached their three-year goal in nine months, their Dad, Ned Stark had gifted them their own building and not just a certain space in the _Stark Industries _building—though it's still on the same compound.

Anyways, while working in Winterfell, Bran still lived in White Harbor so he could watch over his wild younger brother, Rickon, and made sure he's still sane. But their parents had a single condition: that they both should go home in Winterfell on the weekends. That condition alone solved two things, well, at least, according to their Dad. It prevents Rickon from partying and for Bran to keep seeing Meera.

Yes, his Dad was still not over the fact that Bran dated the daughter of his old friend, Howland Reed. Or should he say: bestfriend-turned-enemy. After Bran had read the news articles Meera had found, he had scoured information about them—he even went to _Castle Black Military Base_, to his Uncle Benjen since he was their only other living relative. But to no avail. _It's not my place to tell you, Brandon_, his Uncle Benjen had only said.

He did, however, managed to squeeze out some information from their old head housekeeper and babysitter, _Old Nan_. Bran had interrupted her while she was dusting furniture on the west wing of Stark Manor. At first, she hesitated. But as Bran pleaded and promised not to tell anyone, she eventually told him.

"Howland was your father's bestfriend," Old Nan said. "They met when they were in college."

Bran's eyes widened. "What?" He shrieked.

"Oh, I remember him well," Old Nan recalled. "He often came here and was very close to Ned's siblings—maybe because his girlfriend was a good friend of Lya's. He was…family. And it was him who managed to convince your grandfather, Rickard to allow your Uncle Benjen to get into Military school."

"I thought Robert Baratheon was Dad's bestfriend." He pointed out.

"No, no," Old Nan corrected. "Your Dad met Robert when he was in an internship program in the Vale, after he graduated college."

Bran couldn't believe it. How did someone, who was bestfriends with his Dad, become probably his most hated person since Aerys Targaryen? There's still a lot of things Bran didn't know.

"When did they stop talking to each other?" He asked.

Old Nan sighed. "I think you already know the answer to that, Brandon." She went back to dusting furniture. "If you need more proof, you can check the photos your Aunt Lya compiled in her photo albums your father had stashed in his study."

Well, he did. Bran had sneaked into his Dad's study for his Aunt Lyanna's photo albums. Technically, it was more defined as scrapbooks than photo albums because it was meticulously decorated with stickers and notes. And sure enough, his Dad had lots of pictures together with the family and Howland Reed. One of the scrapbooks was labeled, _Mischief Escapade: A Documentation of Successful Pranks_, which was a compilation of the pranks they pulled with his Aunt Lyanna documenting the whole thing. He read the whole thing and his top favorites were: _Covering Brandon's Car in Plastic Wrap_, _Benjie's 'Surprise' Birthday Present_, and _Putting Fake Honeybee Holes on Ned's Hand_.

But there was one which wasn't finished. It contained photos of his Aunt Lyanna while being pregnant with Jon. It also confirmed that Jon's name wasn't technically Jon, but Aegon. It was probably only changed to Jon, by his Dad. The lone proof it had was the note on one of the photos of Lyanna Stark smiling and holding her swollen belly, _If it's a girl, Arya; and if it's a boy, Aegon._

Unbeknownst to his family, except Arya and maybe Rickon, Bran still kept seeing Meera. His love for her grew even stronger ever since his Dad told him to stay away from her. Clearly, his Mom's 'talk' with his Dad did not work out well, but that didn't stop Bran. There's no way in seven hells he's staying away from Meera.

Bran's 'talk' with his Dad before trekking on Mt. Alarra was not the only time he was told to stay away from Meera. But that moment was _Boiling Point No. 1_.

_Boiling Point No. 2_ was when Robb and Talisa were doing their prenup photoshoot in White Harbor and they caught him walking with Meera in the streets not far from them. Robb had casually mentioned it to their Dad once during a weekend dinner and suddenly Ned Stark lost all the energy to crack even a smile for the rest of that night. Then that same night after dinner, his Dad gave him a lecture in his study that ended in them arguing.

"Brandon," Ned took a deep breath as he sat back on his boss chair. "This is not the first time I told you this, and it won't be the last: Stay away from the Reeds."

"Why, huh?" Bran demanded. "The Reeds are good people. Even you know that."

"No, you don't." Ned snapped. "You don't know what they did."

"Actually, I do, Dad," He said. "You also failed to mention that Howland Reed was your bestfriend. And yes, I did some digging because you refused to tell me anything. Sure, you and Howland Reed had your differences, and that's between you and him. But what about his family?" He asked. "I just don't understand why you won't give them a chance."

"I already went there," Ned answered. "With the Boltons, and look where it got us? Several court trial hearings, your brothers getting shot by stray bullets, and your sister suffering emotional trauma."

Bran shook his head. "The Reeds are different, Dad." He insisted. "They are not what you think."

"I'm still not comfortable with you dating his daughter." Ned admitted.

"I love her, Dad." Bran blurted out.

"Brandon," His father started to say.

"No one has the right to dictate me about my feelings, Dad," He interjected. "Not even you. I love her and that's not gonna change."

Bran then stood and walked out of his Dad's study. He could hear his Dad calling after him, but Bran ignored it. It was then that he started to be estranged from his own father.

Now, twenty-three-year-old Bran just had to get through life's obstacles. Then came the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ and all seven hells broke loose. It was also _Boiling Point No 3._

The _Harvest Feast _is an annual event celebrated across Westeros. This tradition dated back in the Age of Heroes where lords and ladies from across the region would come to the capital and share their harvests, meats, and crops with everyone. Back in the old days, noblemen and women celebrate harvest feasts in their overlords' manor. In the North's case, yes, it's on Stark Manor with the Northern noble families and their retinues.

But when there was a change of the form of government from absolute monarchy to a democratic republic, the traditions changed. Nowadays, well, it's still celebrated on the second Friday of October, but with street parades, and family dinners with roasted pig, baked potatoes, and apple pies.

The following day on Saturday evening, a charity ball is held. It's a fundraiser event for the less fortunate. The Ball is attended by entrepreneurs and foundation heads with their families and it is always held in the Convention Center in Winterfell, right across the North Capitol.

Also, instead of the Governor hosting the event, it's decided among families from the different areas of the North, either from the _Islands_, _Rills_, _Neck_, _Mountains_, _Barrowlands_, the _Capital,_ and _Coasts_. And in that particular year, 310 AC, the Harvest Feast was hosted by the Mormont family, which is a family from the _Islands_—Bear Island to be exact.

It's mostly a semi-formal attire event, so Bran could basically just wear a fitted suit and that's it. But no, his Mom insisted that he wore a tie, a damn pocket square, and cufflinks. _People looked up to the Starks, so we have to look our best_, his mother had said.

Bran never liked going to big parties and most of the time he's only forced to attend by his Mom. And his sister Arya of course, managed to annoy their Mom by wearing a jumpsuit to almost every formal event they attend. Almost, because she actually had to wear a dress during Robb's wedding.

So basically, his Dad, Robb, Jon, Theon, Rickon and Bran himself were in fitted suits, his Mom, Sansa, and Talisa—who was seven months pregnant, wore dresses, and Arya was in a classy jumpsuit.

Maege Mormont greeted them when they entered. "Ned, Cat!" She greeted, then gave each of them a hug.

"Hello, Maege." Cat returned the same greeting.

Bran looked around and almost every important person in the North was there, be it politicians or businessmen with their families. Even the political enemies of the Starks, the Boltons were there. Ever since Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton's son from his mistress and Sansa's psychotic ex-boyfriend—who is currently serving his seventy-year sentence in the _Wolf's Den Prison_, their families had just disregarded each other.

But when Bran saw that the Reeds were also there, he became excited and hopeful. And it's a miracle that Meera and Jojen were there as well, because his family always attended the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_, but he never saw them there before. Or maybe he just wasn't paying attention to the people who attend and those who don't.

He spotted Meera, who wore a green trench coat as a dress, and was talking to Lyra and Jorelle Mormont. And when she turned to his direction, she smiled and waved at him, which had him weak by the knees. _Damn, she's so beautiful_, Bran thought giddily. _Green is definitely her color_.

Unfortunately for Bran, his Dad saw his reaction and was not happy. Ned turned to Maege Mormont and whispered loud enough, probably to make sure he'll hear. "Maege, why are the Reeds here?" Ned asked.

Meage's eyes widened in surprise then sighed. "They always come," She reminded him.

"Maybe Howland," Ned said. "But his children?"

"Oh," Maege nodded. "That would be my daughters' doing." She explained. "They're good friends with his children. And they are nice people."

Ned huffed. "I don't know about that."

Catelyn elbowed her husband. "Ned," She gritted her teeth.

"What?" Ned asked his wife.

"Listen to your wife, Eddard," Maege agreed. "Please do not cause a scene here."

Ned raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not promising anything."

Maege sighed. "Well, then," She said as she waved for ushers and usherettes to come their way. "They will escort you to your seats."

"Thank you, Maege." Catelyn said.

When they already knew where they'll be seated, they went on to socialize. Robb stayed seated next to his pregnant wife and just let people approach him.

Just as Bran tried to separate from his parents, his father placed an arm on his shoulder, gently gripping it and turned to him. "Brandon," He said in a hard, steely voice. "You'll stay with me."

"But—" He started to protest.

"Stay with me." Ned insisted.

"Ned," Catelyn spoke up. "You can't restrain your son from going anywhere," She argued. "This is a party. They're supposed to socialize."

"He _is_ socializing," Ned insisted. "By meeting every person that I also meet."

_Oh, great!_ Bran silently cursed. It's just his Dad's way for him not to get anywhere near Meera. Luckily for him, his sister, Arya was up to her schemes, yet again (And thank the gods for her!).

Arya rolled her eyes at their Dad's sudden strictness, then forced out a smile and approached their father. "Daddy," She said in her unusual tone—a tone she used on their Dad when she wants something, at the same time, pulling their Dad's arm. "Look, there's Wyman Manderly."

She pointed ahead and sure enough, a man thrice their father's size—he was even larger than Robert Baratheon—was walking towards them. Yep, it's Wyman Manderly, the Mayor of White Harbor.

"Ned!" Wyman greeted in his high, phlegmy voice.

Wyman Manderly was a friend and a political ally, but appearance-wise, he looked like Santa Claus in a black suit, with his white hair and beard. If his suit was red, then maybe you might mistake him as Santa Claus. He spread his arms wide and pulled Ned into a tight hug.

And as their Dad was busy chatting with Wyman Manderly, Arya hit him with the back of her hand.

"This isn't gonna last," Arya whispered. "But at least, I've bought you some time. Now, go, you're free." She motioned her head towards the Reeds' direction.

Bran smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Arya shrugged, smirking. "Well, you know what they say, _Never stand in the way of true love_."

Bran took a deep breath before walking towards Meera, who was talking to two of the Mormont girls.

"Oh my gods!" Jorelle gasped. "Boyfriend alert! Watch your six, Meera."

Meera turned and was face to face with him.

"Hello, my Stardust," Bran greeted.

She smiled wide. "Branflakes!" She giggled then wrapped him in a bear hug.

"Uh," Lyra cleared her throat. "We'll leave you two, to you know, catch up." She said as she stirred Jorelle away from them.

Bran shrugged. "I didn't know you were coming,"

"I know," Meera said. "I never really come to this kind of event, only my parents do. And they don't always attend. But the Mormonts have been…persuasive, especially Lya."

"Well, I'm glad they were," He smiled. "Because my night just became extra brighter." He held out his arm. "Come on, walk with me."

Meera snorted and hooked her arm against his without hesitation. "Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see."

The _North Convention Center_ has beautiful lush gardens large enough to host outdoor weddings when it's not snowing. It has several water fountains, a hedged maze, countless flower bushes and shrubs, stone walkways, path lights, and a two-storey gazebo.

The two-storey gazebo was at the edge of the garden and directly behind it is a rocky creek.

"Wow," Meera said in awe. "It's beautiful. I mean, even though it's fall and half of the plants don't have leaves anymore."

"The winter roses are still there." Bran pointed to their right. "They start to set buds in the fall and then bloom in the winter."

"Oh, remember those roses you gave me," She recalled. "Jojen took cuttings of it and replanted them. Now they're grown and he keeps them in the greenhouse so that we can have some supplies during the summer."

"Well, that's good to hear," He smiled. "Oh, by the way, the Red Comet will be seen tonight.

"Yeah, I know," Meera said. "I wrote an article about that last Friday. And it's especially a rare instance because it falls after the _Harvest Feast_, and it only appears once every hundred years. But I'm not sure if that can be seen by our naked eyes."

"Oh, it can be seen by our naked eyes," Bran confirmed. "It'll appear at around nine at night, which happens to be in the middle of auction…" He faltered, then an idea suddenly popped into his head.

"I know that look," She said. "That's your thinking look. What is it?"

Bran checked his wristwatch. _18:30_, it read. "Okay, so the auction starts at nine and I don't really have much to do then, and I'm sure neither will you. So maybe we can see the red comet, together." He proposed, then pointed at the gazebo by the creek. "In that gazebo."

Meera smiled, then slowly nodded. "Of course, I'll meet you there."

"Great!" Bran wrapped her in a hug. "Anyways, I have to go. Arya had only stalled me a few minutes." He sighed sadly. "I'll see you later then, okay? I promise. Love you." Then he planted a kiss on her cheek before walking back to his family by their dinner table.

Of course, his Dad was furious about his sudden disappearance act. "Where have you been?" He demanded. "I told you to stay with me."

"I just…went to the bathroom, Dad." He reasoned as he took his seat. "Am I not allowed to go use the loo now?"

As they sat and ate dinner, Bran noticed that Maege Mormont had definitely taken the time to plan the table seating arrangement, and made sure to have the Reeds seated as far away from the Starks as possible.

Nonetheless, it doesn't matter, as he will meet Meera in the gazebo later in the evening. But he will have to figure out how to escape from his Dad's iron grip though.

**MEERA**

Meera was tired of all their family's bullshit. Well, technically, it's just her Dad and Ned Stark's squabble, but still.

The Starks are good people and she was glad that Bran's siblings hadn't treated Meera and her brother, Jojen like they were enemies when the issue of their Dads' two-decade blood feud was brought up.

Bran's sisters, Arya and Sansa were especially welcoming and treated her like their actual older sister, and his younger brother, Rickon looked up to her the same way. Even Jojen became good friends with Bran because of their geeky personality.

One time when Bran was still reviewing for the boards, he and Jojen once went to a Comic-Con in White Harbor dressed as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker respectively. They even invited her to come with them and prompted her to dress as Princess Leia with the space bun hairstyle, but she had declined because it was on a workday. Later that day, Bran and Jojen came back to her flat around the same time she got home with a buttload of limited-edition goodies. Particularly, a replica of Mace Windu's purple lightsaber, a Stormtrooper and a Rebel Pilot helmet and an R2-D2 trash bin. Bran even got her a green lightsaber nightlight as a souvenir.

Meera considered her relationship with Bran a very happy one. They had established it built on trust. She trusts him completely and he trusts her the same. Their parents, however, particularly their Dads, are a different story. Her father has never said anything against it, but he hadn't encouraged her either. He has remained neutral in all aspects as long as she's happy. Bran's Dad, on the other hand, had repeatedly expressed dismay.

Also, over the last year, she had been promoted to Feature Editor. Her workstation was upgraded from a simple cubicle partition to a separate room with a sliding door. And yes, Gwyn and Lyra often hung out there during their breaks. By the way, her friends had also taken a step up at work. Gwyn was now the Business Editor, while Lyra was Assistant Feature Editor. And since Meera and Lyra's workplaces were not too far from each other, Gwyn was the one who visits their workplace.

Then came the discussion of the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ when she started to feel edgy. That year it will be hosted by the Mormont family, so of course, Lyra nearly flipped.

"What?!" Lyra shrieked. "Why are you not going?"

"Well," Meera looked up from her desk. "First of all, I'm not really a fan of fancy parties; second, we weren't invited; and third, it'll just be a recipe for disaster."

"You don't know that," Lyra countered.

"Well, I'm not betting on it." She replied. "Sorry."

"Lya's not gonna like this," Lyra said.

Meera frowned. "What does Lya have to do with the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball?_" She asked.

"The Mormont family is hosting the ball this year," Lyra informed. "And it would definitely mean a lot for Lya because it's the first time she's actually attending with a boyfriend."

Oh, of course, the other new thing is Jojen and Lyanna had started dating, much to everyone's surprise. But Meera didn't like the way she and Bran found out about it though. They caught them making out in her flat. Nevertheless, she's still so happy for them. Through Lya, Jojen is spending more time out of the house, his workspace and, his greenhouse, and got out and explored. And also, because of Jojen, Meera had seen a softer and different side to Lyanna Mormont that she hadn't seen before. She had presumed Lya was the odd one out of the five Mormont sisters because of her in-your-face and kind-of-a-feminist attitude, but she was wrong.

The following day, Lyanna came with her sister to their workplace and placed an invitation to the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ on her desk before her.

"Hi Lya," Meera greeted, then frowned at the fancy envelope on her desk that Lya had placed. "What is this?" She asked.

"It's an official invitation to the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ this Saturday," Lyanna informed, then she raised her hand. "Before you even say anything, I already convinced your parents and your brother and they have confirmed that they will be coming. And that means you have to come as well because it's on a Saturday so you can't use the _it's a workday_ excuse."

Meera sighed. "Lya, you do know that me being there will be like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode."

"Bran will be there," Lya brought up.

"I know," She said. "His entire family will be there as well, including the governor. And I think Ned Stark will be holding a leash around Bran's neck when he sees me there."

"I already reserved a seat for you per your parents' request," Lya insisted. "And if you're not coming, that's a three months worth of relief goods away from seven unfortunate families in the slums of White Harbor."

Meera moved her hands away from her keyboard and turned to Lya. "Oh my gods, what?" She asked.

"That's right," Lya said, matter of factly. "That's how a single seat costs. You can help a lot of people."

Meera was quiet for a moment, then finally sighed. "Ugh, fine." She said. "I'll go. Godsdammit!"

Lya grinned. "Yay, great!" She went over to her side and hugged her. "Thanks, Meera. Now those families will not starve come winter." She glared at Lyra, who was standing before Meera across her desk. "That's how you do it."

"Wow," Lyra said. "Didn't know being a lawyer steps up your persuasive game. I need lessons."

That weekend was _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ and Meera was nervous, more nervous than she had been since she landed a job interview for her first position in _The Northern Herald_.

The last time she attended the charity ball was when she was still in high school. She hadn't attended since she moved to White Harbor for college and she had her job. And now, ten years later, she's back in attendance.

Meera didn't tell Bran about it because, well, she wanted it to be a surprise. Partly, because it'll give Ned Stark another reason to not let his own son go. Mostly because she wanted to show the Stark family that she's worth Bran's love and that she's not using him for his family's wealth.

At the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_ in Winterfell, the Stark family entered with their entourage of security. When Bran spotted her, he smiled wide. She waved in his direction, but of course, Ned Stark saw that. The governor whispered something on Maege Mormont's ear, and then it looked like she and his wife—Bran's Mom were calming him down. Ned Stark had then turned to his son and no doubt told him to not approach her. Well, she's not surprised.

But Meera was surprised when Bran approached her while she was having a chat with Lyra and Jorelle Mormont, despite his Dad's warning. He brought her outside to the gardens and promised her that they would view the Red Comet together in the two-storey gazebo by the creek.

When the auction started, Meera had to excuse herself from her family and walked outside to the gardens. She was the first one to get to their meeting place at the gazebo.

Suddenly, a pair of arms gently wrapped around her shoulders while she was staring into the moonlit waters of the creek.

"Hey, Stardust," Bran said, then planted a kiss on her cheek.

Meera gripped his arm. "I thought you're not coming."

"Why would you think that?" He asked. "I promised you, didn't I? And you do know that I never break my promises."

"So, how did you escape your Dad?" She wondered.

"Well, it wasn't easy," Bran said as he went to her side and put his arm around her shoulder. "But enough about that. Let's just wait for the Red Comet."

Bran started spouting facts about the Red Comet, that the comet's actual color isn't technically red but scarlet. But since scarlet is a shade of the red family, it became its official name. He also explained something about how many light-years it is away from Earth or something.

But honestly, Meera didn't understand most of what Bran's saying as she was too busy staring at him being nerdy.

He frowned. "What is it?"

"Nothing," She giggled as she turned to face him. "You being nerdy just turns me on."

"Aww," Bran chuckled, then kissed her on her temple. He suddenly gasped and pointed at the night sky. "Oh, hey, there it is!" He exclaimed, excitedly. "The Red Comet is here!"

Sure enough, the dark sky had a faint red light and a comet with a red tail was visible. The Red Comet was even more evident than the Northern lights, so yeah, it was a once in a lifetime spectacle and Meera was glad that she was able to experience that moment with Bran by her side.

"It's beautiful," Meera said in amazement. "And it's even brighter than the polar lights."

"Also," Bran added. "It is visible until as late as nine in the morning. And people always believed that it's either brings good fortune or a bad omen."

Meera glanced up at Bran again. He was still very much into the natural display in the night sky. His blue eyes glinted with red as he watched the comet passed. The color of his auburn hair roared intensely, so much that Meera couldn't help but run her fingers through his hair.

_He looks so handsome_, Meera thought.

This particular action broke Bran's trance from the comet and turned to face her with a contented smile. "I wish it could always be like this." He said, then slowly inched her face closer to hers.

As the comet smeared across the sky, their lips locked into a kiss that—she'd like to say—was out of this world.

It was a perfect moment. But of course, just as everything was perfect, it's bound to get ugly at some point. Unfortunately for them, their bad luck was immediate.

"Brandon!" They could hear a loud, angry voice—a voice that belonged to Ned Stark.

It made them broke free from each other.

"Godsdammit!" Bran hissed in frustration.

They both turned from where the voice came from and saw Ned Stark trudging towards their direction, with three of Bran's siblings, Robb, Arya, and Jon—technically he's not their brother, but since he was adopted into the family, he's considered as one.

"Daddy," Arya was running after their father. "You need to—"

"Not now, Arya," Ned interrupted. "I have to discipline your brother."

"Dad," Bran acknowledged, then put an arm protectively before Meera.

At that point, Robb and Jon had managed to restrain their father.

Ned Stark regarded her with his steel-grey eyes before turning to his son. "What did I tell you about staying away from them?"

"Dad," Bran huffed. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're just observing the Red Comet."

"That's not what I saw." Ned insisted.

"Dad—" Bran started to say.

"Um," Meera spoke up. "With all due respect, Mr. Stark, we were—"

Ned raised his hand, interrupting her. "I wasn't talking to you, girl."

"Dad, please," Robb said, pulling back their Dad before turning to her. "Meera, we're sorry for the trouble."

Ned turned to Robb. "We're not causing trouble." He insisted.

At the distance, Meera could see her father and brother walking briskly towards them. _Oh, boy,_ She thought. _This is not gonna end well._

"What's going on here?" Howland asked.

"Dad," Meera motioned her head, signaling him to stop.

Ned snorted. "That's a very good question, Howland." He said. "And now, would you please tell your daughter to stay away from my son."

"I'm not you, Ned," Howland replied. "I don't interfere with my children's decisions, I raised them to be bold enough to make their own. And as parents, it is our job to guide and support them through the obstacles of life."

Ned threw his hands in exasperation. "What is this, _Parenting 101_?" He asked. "You're not a child of the forest or a three-eyed raven, Howland. And I've had enough excuses from you for the past thirty years."

"Twenty-seven years," Howland corrected. "And those weren't excuses, Ned. What I told you was the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And you still expect me to believe that?"

"Wait," Robb interjected, with his hand in a _stop everything_ gesture. "It feels like you both have some deep-rooted grudge against each other."

"Bestfriends-turned-enemies, I would say." Bran blurted out.

Everyone turned to Bran after he had said that remark.

Bran crossed his arms. "I had to find that information elsewhere because neither of you insisted on telling us anything."

"Then why, Dad?" Robb asked, then turned to her father. "Mr. Reed?"

"Why?" Ned repeated. "I'll tell you why," He jabbed a finger at Howland. "_This_ man is responsible for your Aunt Lyanna's death."

"WHAT?" Robb, Arya, Jojen, and Jon exclaimed in disbelief. Jon, especially, looked disturbed.

"Alright, we're going back to this, huh?" Howland sighed. "Then I should tell you again, Lya came to me for help." He reminded him.

At that point, Meera had stood by her father's side, and Bran by his. And that they were keeping them from killing each other.

"You call that helping?" Ned asked. "She returned home in a casket!"

"You think that's not on my conscience already?" Howland snapped. "She came to my house in the wee hours of the morning, in the middle of a snowstorm, with her sixth-month-old son and you expect me _not_ to help her?"

"You didn't even tell me why she insisted on going to White Harbor."

"Because I don't," Howland insisted. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"Twenty-seven years later," Ned shook his head in disbelief. "And you're still lying."

"Lying?" Howland rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Why would I even keep a secret that long? And for what? I already told you the truth. You're the one who can't move on, and insisted on blaming me for your sister's decisions."

"My nephew lost his mother," Ned reminded him. "If you hadn't interfered, Lya would still be alive."

"If you hadn't done anything at all," Howland countered. "Causing her to come to me for help, she would have. Now, you're dragging my daughter into this…madness. And to think I made you her godfather? Well, my mistake."

"Wait, what?" Meera somehow found her voice.

"Don't worry," Ned said. "I've forgotten you were Robb's as well."

Howland huffed. "Look, Ned, it's me you have a problem with, right?" He raised his hands in surrender. "Then hate me alone! You don't need to drag my daughter or my entire family into this."

"I don't want my son associating with a murderer's family." Ned insisted.

"Dad, please!" Bran pleaded. "That's enough. Meera and I—we don't want any trouble."

"Associating with the Reeds is trouble, Bran." Ned argued.

"No, Dad," Bran countered. "You're wrong. Mr. Reed has never even spoken an ill word against us, and you're telling us they're trouble?" He pointed out. "Do you even hear yourself?"

"Brandon—"

"Whatever blood feud you've had with Howland Reed," Bran started. "That's between you and him. Meera and I had nothing and want no part in it. So, please."

Ned Stark shook his head. "No, I don't want to see you with that girl again." He declared, pointing at Meera.

At that point, Meera suddenly had tears in her eyes.

"What?!" Bran shrieked.

"Daddy," Arya spoke up. "You can't just—"

"I'm your father," Ned interjected. "Of course, I can."

Bran grumbled. "Dad, you can't make that decision for me. I love Meera and nothing you say will change that."

Ned Stark was probably gonna give Bran a clout or something, but his daughter, Arya stood in his way, shielding her brother then gave their father a glare like, _how dare you?_

Ned pointed a finger at Bran. "You're moving back to Winterfell," He said. "And you will never see her again. My decision is final."

Bran approached her and hugged her tight. Both of them have tears streaming down their cheeks.

"I love you so much, always remember that." Bran said, then his voice turned to a whisper as he was embracing her. _"We're not breaking up,"_ He declared. _"I'll meet you at your place after work on Monday, I promise."_

He then kissed Meera goodbye, before her father gently pulled her away from Bran.

"Come on, Meerakins," Howland said, placing an arm around her. "Let's go home."

Then her father stopped at his tracks. "For the record, Ned," He spoke up. "I actually admired Bran because he's got the balls to do what you couldn't. Also, now I understand why Lya wanted to get away, and I won't be surprised if one of your children does the same."

Her Dad and brother simply walked by her as they went back indoors to collect their Mom and then went to their car. Jojen had a brief conversation with Lyanna Mormont before they left, explaining everything that just happened and apologizing for leaving early.

The whole ride to their house in Greywater Watch, Meera cried, with her Mom holding and comforting her.

Meera also spent the following day sulking in her room, crying. She also never stepped out of her room unless she was going to the bathroom. Food was delivered to her room during mealtimes, so she hadn't starved. Jojen even made homemade strawberry ice cream to make her feel better, and it slightly did.

Bran hadn't even contacted her, which was understandable. After Ned Stark and her father's screaming match at the charity ball, Bran was probably under surveillance. If they were going to make other people think that they actually broke up, it has to be believable.

When Monday came, Meera joined her family to eat breakfast. But never talked about what happened at the charity ball, since that topic particularly was a sore spot.

She drove to White Harbor to work and was apparently too early. So she bought a solo pack ice cream from the nearest convenience store. When she came back, Lyra was already waiting for her.

"Hey," Lyra greeted. "I heard through Lya. And I'm sorry."

Meera frowned. "For what?"

"Well, if we hadn't persuaded you to come," Lyra pointed out. "You and Bran wouldn't have broken up."

"It's not your fault," She insisted.

Gwyn suddenly burst in. "Hey—oh." Her face dropped. "I heard too. I'm so sorry."

Meera sat back on her chair. "I mean, that's life," She shrugged, then open the solo pack ice cream. "Shit happens."

"Aww," Gwyn whined as she approached and hugged her. "It hurts like the seven hells, I would know, I've been there. You'll get through this, but right now, you just have to let yourself feel everything you need to feel."

Meera could feel her eyes watering.

"Yeah," Lyra walked to her other side and sat on her desk. "It's okay to feel that way. I mean, healing is something that can't be rushed, it's a step-by-step process. And time itself is the greatest healer."

"And," Gwyn added. "Always know that Lyra and I will always be here for you whenever you need us."

She managed a smile. "Thanks, guys."

"You know," Gwyn beamed. "I think I know what we should do."

"No!" Both Meera and Lyra said in unison.

Lyra huffed. "We are not going out on a Monday night."

"I agree," Meera said. "We still have work tomorrow. And besides, I haven't had proper sleep in the last two days. I feel like I'm gonna crash early tonight."

Gwyn sighed. "Alright, fine." She said. "But you won't be alone in this time of, you know. Lyra and I will help you get through this together."

Lyra gave Gwyn a high five. "That's right, Whitehill."

Despite the 'supposed' break-up with Bran, Meera was thankful for her family and friends for being there for her when she's at her lowest. But she can't help but feel guilty as well.

Well, technically, she was hurt when Ned Stark forced Bran to break up with her in front of their families. That's what everyone knows, but Meera's tears were actually from not everyone accepting them, that they can't walk the streets freely and hold hands without looking over their shoulder for anyone who might tell on them.

After work, Meera went directly to her flat. She wasn't thinking about anything else but seeing Bran again. She waited anxiously, sitting on the couch or pacing back and forth in the living room while looking.

She checked the time, 6pm…7pm. Bran still hasn't come. Meera remembered what he whispered to her that night at the charity ball, _I'll meet you at your place after work on Monday, I promise._

It was turning eight in the evening and she was starting to worry. He probably isn't coming. _Stop it!_ Her subconscious screamed. _Bran promised and he never breaks his promises. Just have faith._

Suddenly, a soft knock came to the door. It gave Meera a surge of adrenaline and she ran to the flat's door.

Another set of knocks came. "Meera?" A familiar voice called.

Meera breathed out a sigh of relief and opened the door. "Branflakes!" She squealed and almost tackled him with a hug.

"Stardust." Bran returned the same tight hug, then kissed her temple.

"I thought you weren't coming." She said, tearing up.

"I promised that I'd come." Bran reminded her, then wiped her cheeks from the tears. "Stop crying, I'm here now."

"Come inside." Meera pulled his arm into her flat. "I wasn't able to cook food because, well…" She faltered.

"It's okay," Bran assured, then held up the brown paper bag he was carrying. "I brought us some food."

"You've been cooking?" She asked.

"Arya's been cooking," He corrected as he sat on the couch. "Because I'm far too depressed to do anything in the last two days." He pulled out plastic containers of baby back ribs and onion rings. "Also, I bought you ice cream, since it's your comfort food."

"Arya's here in White Harbor as well?" Meera wondered as she sat on the couch next to Bran. "And how are you here, anyway? I thought your Dad never wanted to see you with me."

"Well, I'm sent to White Harbor to pack up my stuff," Bran explained. "And Arya came with me to make sure I won't go elsewhere. But what my Dad doesn't know is that Arya's with me. She even thinks it's ridiculous."

"Your sister made you come here?"

Bran nodded. "Yes, she's stalling Rickon on some videogame tournament to distract him. And I already packed my stuff, so yeah."

"But what about Rickon?" Meera brought up. "I thought your parents let you live here so you can watch over him."

"Arya's taking my place as his roommate/babysitter." He informed. "Just another recipe for disaster, if you ask me."

They ate their food and afterwards, they cuddled on the couch, enjoying each other's company.

"I can't believe we've come to this point." She sighed. "But, I'm just glad you're here now."

"Me too," Bran assured.

There was a moment of silence before Bran spoke again and buried his head on his hands.

"Godsdammit, we can't live like this." He blurted out. "I'm tired of hiding."

"Wait," Meera's heart raced. "What—what are you saying?"

"I'm moving back to Winterfell, as the _king_ says," Bran said sadly. He said the word _king_, like it's a virus. "Our chauffeur's picking my stuff tomorrow. And also, I don't know when I'll see you again."

"I know," She said. "Even our communication is scarce. But we'll pull through, I know we will."

"We will," Bran managed a smile, then placed an arm around her as they leaned back on the couch's backrest. "Also, since I haven't had proper sleep since last Saturday, I came up with something. A plan…but it's crazy."

"Please, I'm a journalist," Meera snorted. "I write about crazy stuff everyday. I'm always prepared for anything crazy."

Bran took a deep breath, then told her the plan. But as he elaborated, her frown got deeper. And when he was done, she was speechless.

"That _is_ crazy." She said, finally.

"I know," He said as he stared at the ceiling, before turning back to her. "But it's your call. I'm not gonna force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I don't know about that, Bran." Meera said. "It's just…I'm not sure about that. I can't even think straight right now."

"I know, I'm sorry," He apologized. "It's my last resort. My family…I lost hope in them ever accepting you, except some of them. My Dad rules with an iron fist at home. But I'm not pressuring you to go with it. It's just a thought."

"Honestly, it's an option." She admitted. "But at the moment, I can't give you an answer."

Suddenly, the front door opened and her brother Jojen walked into the flat, making both of them stand.

"Hey, Meera, I brought some—" Jojen started to say, but froze when he saw them. "Holy shit! What in seven hells is he doing here?"

"Jojen," Meera said. "I can explain."

"I thought you guys broke up," Jojen grumbled. "So all that stuff at the charity ball was just a stunt?"

"No, I mean, yeah, but—"

"What the fuck, Meera?!" Jojen exclaimed.

"I know, but please," She pleaded. "Just don't tell Mom and Dad, okay?"

"After all they did for you," Her brother started. "You're still gonna go astray for this guy?" He jabbed a finger at Bran.

Meera looked back and forth between them. "I thought you guys are friends." She said. "You went to Comic-Con together."

Jojen adjusted his glasses. "That was before his Dad called our Dad a murderer."

"Jojen, I understand that you're mad," Bran spoke up. "I cannot speak for my Dad. And even if I ask him to, he can't take back the words that he had said. But I'm sorry for everything that happened last Saturday."

"Maybe if you can say that to my Dad," Jojen suggested. "I'll consider it even." He placed the container of ice cream on the coffee table. "Here's your ice cream. Sorry, I disturbed your…_tȇté à tȇté_." He quoted his fingers in the air.

Her brother went back to the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going home," Jojen replied. "You already have company. And don't worry, sis. I won't tell Mom and Dad, they will find out eventually."

Meera started running after her brother. "Jojen—"

Jojen slammed the door in her face.

She threw her hands in frustration. "Great, now I have one family member against me."

Bran's phone suddenly rang. He picked it up from his pocket and groaned before answering. "Dad," He responded. "I'm at…_Starkgrand. _Um, because I wanted to drink coffee…Who in seven hells cares if I'm drinking coffee at night! That's none of your business…Yes, bye." He cussed as he placed the phone back into his pocket.

"Your Dad?" She guessed.

"I feel like he's monitoring me like the three-eyed raven in the old stories." He sighed. "Anyways, I have to go. My brother will get suspicious of how long it took to get coffee."

Meera exhaled. "Of course."

"But don't worry," Bran assured. "I'll find a way for us to see each other from time to time." Then his face brightened. "Oh, by the way, I bought a new phone with a different number. And it's the number I'll use to contact you." He then punched his new number on Meera's phone. "I'll call you later."

"I'll be waiting for the call."

Bran cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her goodnight before leaving.

Meera had then changed into her pj's, laid in bed, and thought about Bran's plan. It may be a bit selfish, but she was tired of hiding as well. So that night when Bran called, she had already decided.

_"__Hello, Stardust,"_ He greeted from the other line.

"Hey, you home already?"

_"__Uh, yeah,"_ He replied. _"I'm out in the balcony. Arya and Rickon are still at it with their videogame tournament."_

"Mm-hmm," She said. "Anyways, I was thinking a lot about your plan."

_"__Wait,"_ He seemed surprised. _"I thought you said you're not sure about that."_

"Well, I am now," Meera confirmed. "And I'm in."


	12. Bran's Plan (Part 1)

**ARYA**

Sunday is the only day Arya isn't obliged to wake up to alarm clocks or Nymeria's barking. She hates it when people wake her up on a Sunday. And yes, she would scream murder at the oppressor to leave her alone and let her sleep.

For two months, Arya's been adjusting to her new work schedule. Besides being in the _Northern Alliance Builders_ from Monday to Friday and either on Soup Kitchen or fundraiser events for the _Winter Rose Foundation_ on Saturdays, she's mostly adjusting by working in Winterfell and going home to White Harbor. Well, she never liked it and she thought their Dad's idea was terrible, but his word is law. Bran, however, had to move back home to Stark Manor—where their Dad watches him like the three-eyed raven in the old stories.

Her brother wasn't very vocal about it at home, but at work, he often vented out to her. Arya felt bad for him so once a week, he'd have Bran leave work earlier so he can go see Meera in White Harbor. Besides the Mormonts (specifically, Lyra, Jorelle, and Lyanna), Arya was the only other person who knew that Bran and Meera still see each other. She honestly thought Meera would make a great sister-by-law because she got along with both her and Sansa.

But of course, their Dad, Ned Stark, had to be the villain in their story so if there was something much worse than the seven hells, it is that that _had_ broken loose.

Anyways, that one particular Sunday was different. With the winter season in and snow-covered everything, it always made her want to stay in bed almost all day. But then again, that plan was ruined when Sansa practically shook her in an attempt to wake her up.

Arya was already mad when she heard her bedroom door swung open.

"Arya," Sansa's panicky voice spoke, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, please."

"It's Sunday," She replied groggily, burying her face under her pillow. "Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on," Sansa insisted. "It's urgent."

"I don't care," She blurted out, still with her head under the pillow. "Ask Robb or Jon to take care of it."

Arya had then heard footsteps coming into her room.

"Is she awake?" It was Robb's voice.

"Oh, she's awake alright," Sansa replied. "She just won't budge."

"I'll handle this," Another voice spoke up, and it was Jon. "Arya," Then he pulled her pillow. "Wake up, it's noon!

Arya glared at them. "It's fucking Sunday," She reminded them. "Go away and leave me alone!" She screamed then pulled the covers over her head.

"Arya, this isn't about us—" Jon started to say.

"Whatever the fuck it is, you can handle it," Arya said. "I trust you. Just please let me sleep."

"This is about Bran, okay?" Robb said. "We haven't seen him since yesterday and we're not sure where he is right now. And also, most of his stuff isn't in his room."

That caught Arya off guard and made her sat up from her bed, raising an eyebrow at her older siblings.

Robb was still in his pajamas and a plain white sleeveless shirt that showed off his tiny cartoon seedless avocado tattoo on his right bicep—Talisa had a matching one, an avocado with the seed. Jon looked like he had just gotten a hot bath because his hair was slightly wet, meaning he had already gone out for a morning jog on the grounds with his dog, Ghost. And Sansa was still in her pink robe like she had just eaten breakfast and was on her way to her bathroom but something came up.

"Are you sure?" Arya asked. "Maybe he argued with Dad again and locked himself in his room in protest."

"So he's not eating?" Sansa pointed out. "I haven't seen him get out of his room and into the kitchen for a meal."

"Seven fucking hells, Sansa!" Arya exclaimed. "The nightstands on the right side of our beds are literally mini-fridges in disguise, which can obviously store food. If Bran had fully stocked his, he could survive for two weeks without leaving his room."

"I am aware of that, Arya," Sansa said in defense. "I'm not stupid. Robb checked his room. He's not there and as are most of his stuff."

"Have you checked the grounds?" Arya suggested. "He might be just walking Summer in the hedged maze even though it's winter, but just maybe."

"I was just on the grounds doing my winter jog," Jon said, matter of factly. "And I did so, yesterday. I didn't see him anywhere."

"Also," Robb added. "I haven't seen Summer all day yesterday. You all know our dogs eat together in the kitchen with their feeders."

"Have you tried calling him on his phone?" Arya asked.

"Yes," Sansa held out her phone. "But his number is deactivated. Kinda weird."

"Maybe he went to White Harbor," She guessed.

"Wait," Sansa raised her hand. "If Bran went to White Harbor, then why is his car still in the garage?"

"Wow, sis," Arya made a tsk sound. "Have you never heard of cabs?"

"That's my point," Sansa said. "Why would he take a cab when he can use his own car, hmm?"

"Anyways," Robb interjected. "I already called Wex. Bran's not in the _Aquamarine_. And I also called Harwin (Harwin is their head of security in _Stark Industries_ compound) and asked if Bran ever came to _Stark Industries_, but no, negative."

"Brilliant!" Arya said sarcastically. "Who in this family even goes to work on Sunday besides Mom or Talisa when she's not on maternity leave?"

Robb took a deep breath before speaking again. "No one, but I have a theory."

"That he moved in with Meera?" Jon guessed. "In White Harbor?"

"Damn it, Jon," Robb huffed. "You took away the suspense."

"Wait, wait," Arya spoke up. "So Bran moved in with Meera in White Harbor, okay. But what the fuck does this have to do with me?" She asked.

Sansa cleared her throat. "Um, you're the only one in this house who might have a phone number of the Reeds."

"But, I don't," She replied. "So all three of you can just step outside my room and let me sleep."

"Yeah," Sansa said. "But you also know people who might."

Arya glared at them. "Fuck you all." She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and scrolled through her contacts.

But Sansa was right, they don't have the phone numbers of the Reeds, but Arya knew people who actually have, and it's the Mormonts.

Arya found Jorelle's number and dialed it. After a few rings, Jorelle finally answered.

_"Hey, Stark,"_ Jorelle answered from the other line. _"It's Sunday and you're calling. What do you want?"_

"Look, Jory," She said. "I don't have time to explain. But do you have Meera's number?"

_"Yeah, but_ _why are you asking that?"_ Jorelle asked. _"It's so weird. Jojen had just called Lya and asked for Bran's number." _She gasped. _"Oh my gods, please do not tell me Bran isn't there and you can't find him."_

"Um, that's exactly what's going on," Arya confirmed. "And my brothers and sister literally just demanded that I call you guys right now—wait, how did you know about that?"

_"OH MY GODS!"_ This time, Jorelle was screaming. _"Jojen said the same thing about his sister. And he's on his way here now. Do you know what Lyra's thinking? They might have run away together or something."_

"What?!" Arya shrieked and threw her covers. "Holy shit!"

_"Okay,"_ Jorelle said. _"Anyways, do you still need Meera's number?"_

"Did you guys try calling her?" Arya asked. "Did she answer?"

_"Well, we did,"_ Jorelle responded. _"All we got was a network message that her number's been deactivated."_

"What the fuck?" Arya cussed. "I can't believe this!"

"Would you stop swearing?" Sansa scolded.

Arya turned to her sister. "Shut the fuck up, Sansa!" She snapped. "You can't tell me what I can and cannot say."

_"You need to calm down, Stark."_ Jorelle insisted.

"How in seven fucking hells am I supposed to calm down?" Arya shrieked. "My brother is nowhere to be found!" She took a deep breath before speaking again. "That's it. I'm going there right now. I need to speak to Jojen."

_"Sure,"_ Jorelle agreed. _"Maybe you can compare notes to help find them. But seriously, there's a lot that we still don't know."_

"We'll figure that out later." Arya promised, then hung up.

After the phone call, Arya was still processing what's happened. But Robb, Jon, and Sansa snapped her back to reality and waited for her to speak up.

"Well?" Sansa said.

"Guys, we have a problem," Arya informed. "A serious one."

"How serious?" Jon asked.

"DEFCON 1 serious."

Sansa sighed in frustration. "Okay, what in seven hells does that mean?"

"It stands for _defense readiness condition_," Jon explained. "It's an alert state used by the military to match varying situations. DEFCON 1 means the situation is at its most severe."

"Okay," Robb cleared his throat. "Going back to the topic, what situation are we talking about that is most severe besides Bran going MIA on us?" He asked.

"Well, long-story-short," Arya said. "We can't find Bran and the Reeds can't find Meera. And the Mormonts are under the impression that they ran away together."

Everyone was stunned. Robb sat on her bed, Sansa's jaw dropped and Jon frowned. Then they all exchanged troubled looks.

"Oh my gods!" Sansa whined. "Mom's not gonna like this."

"We still don't know if they actually did," Arya assured. "That's why I'm going to White Harbor, like now, to figure out the truth." She said as she stood and started to walk to her bathroom. "Oh, Jon, get dressed. You're coming with me."

"Sure," Jon agreed. "I'll be ready in fifteen." He said before leaving the room.

"I'm coming too," Robb volunteered.

Arya stopped at her tracks and turned to face Robb. "Big bro," She said. "You're on paternity leave. Talisa will give birth any day now, you can't leave her side."

Robb shrugged. "Hmm, good point." He said. "Sansa can go in my place."

"Uh, no," Arya instantly said.

Sansa huffed. "Why not?" She demanded.

"Because it takes you thirty minutes in the shower alone." Arya pointed out. "Another thirty to dab whatever skincare routine you have on your face or body, and an hour to style your hair and pick some clothes to wear that screams #ootd."

Sansa threw her hands in exasperation. "Well, what in seven hells are we gonna do here?" She asked. "Pace back and forth? Mom's already freaking out as it is."

"Yeah," Robb added. "And I think Dad is close to calling the _Winterfell Police Department_."

"Then calm her down," Arya said. "And try to stop Dad from calling WPD. Also, while you're at it, try to find anything in Bran's room for clues that might lead us to wherever he is."

"I already did," Robb said, matter of factly.

"Well, look again." She insisted.

"Ugh, fine." Sansa rolled her eyes, then turned to Robb. "You do the snooping and I'll do the comforting Mom part."

Robb also rolled his eyes, followed after her and closed the door behind him.

Arya took the quickest hot shower, dried her hair with her hairdryer, and put on some winter clothes. When she got out of her walk-in closet, Jon was already ready, with his black parka jacket, insulated trousers, and winter boots.

Jon was petting Nymeria—who had apparently found her way back to Arya's room after eating her breakfast in the kitchen. Nymeria was now lounging on her bed, like she owned it and was clearly enjoying Jon rubbing her hide like, _yes, hooman, that's the spot_. And Arya was pretty sure Nymeria was the reason Sansa got into her room in the first place.

"Oh, good," Jon said as he stood up, still petting Nymeria. "Let's go."

"So are we using my car or your car?" Jon asked as they walked in the hallway.

"Mine," She replied. "Also, I did not tell Hullen to take it out so we're heading to the garage."

"Arya!" Robb's voice called.

They both turned and saw Robb running towards them. It looked like he had just gotten out of Bran's room because Bran's bedroom door was wide open.

"Oh, thank the gods, I caught up to you," Robb said, panting. "I found this in Bran's room." He held out a brown expanded envelope. "Could be important."

"An expanded envelope?"

"An expanded envelope of probably important papers," Robb said. "I didn't open it yet, but this one intrigued me." He turned it over and a yellow sticky note was attached with Bran's own penmanship in writing, _I'm sorry. :(_

Arya exchanged glances with Jon. And suddenly she was nervous.

Robb was about to open it, but one of their staff approached them.

"Um, Mr. Robb," A young girl called. It was Palla, one of their housekeepers, and Farlen's daughter, the man who takes care of their livestock. "Sorry to interrupt, but your wife called for you."

Robb sighed. "Tell her I'll be there." He said turning back to them. "I guess we'll find out later."

Arya snatched the expanded envelope from her brother. "No, I'll take this to White Harbor." She said.

"Godsdammit!" Robb cussed. "Fine, tell me about it when you get back."

Arya and Jon proceeded to the garage.

Stark Manor's garage is located underground in the basement level. Its access is located at the rear part of the house. When you walked out from the back doors in the kitchen, you'll immediately see a car ramp by your left. Normally, they would inform their family chauffeur, Hullen that they'd be going somewhere so their specific cars will be taken out and be parked out by their front porch—as Hullen does on weekdays.

"They did put salt in the driveway already, right?" She asked Jon.

Also, since snow covered everything, including pathways, their staff was tasked to put salt on it to avoid car tires or people from slipping on the ice.

"Of course, they do," Jon assured. "They do that every time it snows. And right before seven in the morning."

The underground garage usually had a total of twelve cars. Each of them had their own parking spaces: Robb, Talisa, Jon, Sansa, Arya herself, Bran, Rickon, Theon, their Mom, their Dad's SUV, and two white vans—used for special occasions.

At the moment, the only vacant parking space was Theon's, since he won't be staying with them until Christmas. They also noticed that Bran's blue BMW was parked right next to Arya's white Porsche.

"Oh, Bran's car is here, alright," Jon said as he checked it out, looking through its tinted windows. "Nothing seems to be out of place."

"I know," Arya agreed. "It feels weird. Something's definitely up."

Arya drove while Jon sat on the shotgun seat.

"So, do you really think Bran would do it?" Jon asked when they were halfway to White Harbor. "Run away with his girlfriend?"

"Well, after the show Dad put on at the _Harvest Feast Charity Ball_," She replied. "I'd say Bran's considering it."

"Yeah, but he's got a lot of things going on," Jon recalled. "He's Co-CEO of a construction company you both founded. I don't think he'd actually leave all that behind." He took the expanded envelope Arya had snatched from Robb from the dashboard.

"Hey, can you check out what's in there?" She requested. "That _I'm Sorry_ note is making me nervous for some reason."

Jon opened the envelope then read the contents. "Try to relax—oh, shit!" His eyes widened then placed the papers back into the envelope.

"What?" She asked, curiously. "What's in it?"

"Arya," Jon said carefully. "You know, it's better for you to find out later and just keep driving."

Arya glared at him. "Why?"

"Hey, eyes on the road!" Jon reminded her.

Arya's eyes went back to the windshield. "What the fuck is in there?"

"Look, Arya," He sighed. "Honestly, I'd feel safer when we're on solid ground and not in a speeding car when you find out about its contents."

"You're afraid I'm gonna crash the car?" She guessed.

"And lose our lives because you freaked out, yes." He admitted.

The Mormont sisters, Lyra, Jorelle, and Lyanna lived in a tract housing village in one of the suburban areas of White Harbor.

"I know this is kinda off topic," Jon spoke up. "But if I'm either a journalist, an engineer and a lawyer living together with two other people with any of the said professions, why won't we just buy our own house instead of renting a three-bedroom two-storey single-detached in a cookie-cutter neighborhood?"

"The land property values in the price market here in White Harbor are pretty steep," Arya explained. "Plus, the land where tract housing is usually built is not entitled. The government just lets them rent those parcels of lots and renew every twenty years or so—and nice try trying to get my mind away from that envelope. Just open it and read!"

"I told you, do it later," Jon argued. "When the car is parked and we're not in any danger when you freak out and/or drive us into a tree or something."

Arya sighed and pulled out her car right before the Mormonts' house. She could see another car parked in their snow-covered driveway. It must be Jojen's.

"Alright, we're parked," Arya said. "Now, open it."

"Uh," Jon replied as he undid his seatbelt. "I'd rather have Lyanna read this because she's a lawyer and can justify what you wouldn't believe." He had then got out of the car.

"What the fuck, Jon!" She complained as he ran after him out of the car.

By the time, Arya caught up to Jon, he had already pressed the doorbell.

The door opened immediately and they were met by Jorelle.

"Hello, Arya," Jorelle greeted, then raised an eyebrow when she saw Jon. "…and Jon." She turned back to Arya. "Why is your cousin here?" She smiled at Jon. "No offense."

"None taken," Jon nodded. "I'm surprised she asked me to come too."

"Let's face it, Jory," Arya said. "If there's anyone who can find Bran and Meera in Stark Manor, it's someone who's highly skilled in combat and tactics. Or me."

"Hey," Jon frowned. "I'm a military officer/Black Operatives Troop Captain/Military Tactician. I have a good excuse. You're just nosy."

Arya elbowed him.

"Anyways," Jorelle interrupted. "Come on in, you guys." She gestured for them to get inside their house.

Lyra and Lyanna were in the living room with Jojen, sitting on the couch by the fireplace and drinking from mugs of what looks to be hot chocolate.

Jojen's eyes widened when he saw her and Jon walked in. "Oh, no, no, no, no," He shrieked. "Please do not tell me you haven't heard from your brother as well."

Arya raised an eyebrow. "Hello to you too." She turned to Lyanna. "How long has your boyfriend been here?" She asked.

Lya shrugged. "About thirty minutes, why?"

"How the fuck could you guys not tell him that I'm coming here?"

"Alright, Starks," Lyra spoke up. "Just get this over with while I get you both mugs of hot chocolate."

"Ooh, nice!" Arya smiled as she sat on the adjacent couch with Jon. "Thank you, Lyra." She turned to Jojen. "So, Jojen, when was the last time you saw your sister?"

"Last Friday," Jojen replied. "She came home unexpectedly and brought take-outs from the _High Marshall_ with her. The next day I never saw her even come out of her room." He recalled. "At first, we were just thinking that she was just too tired from her job, so we let her rest and left her alone. Then in the afternoon, a package arrived for me. And it was from Meera herself. I opened it and it was all my stuff I left in her flat in White Harbor. That's when I started to question why she did that. So I knocked at her bedroom door, and when she didn't answer, I took the spare keys my Dad had and invited myself in. But Meera wasn't there. That goes the same for most of her stuff."

Jon leaned forward. "Did you find anything in her room that might explain where she possibly could have gone?"

"I did find something," Jojen said, pointing at a folder on the coffee table. "But I don't think that could help pinpoint where she is right now."

"It's not much, really," Lya spoke up. "It's a bunch of news articles about the _Massacre of Wolves_. I think Meera did a small investigation about why Ned Stark and Howland Reed started hating each other."

Arya turned back to Jojen. "Did you check if Meera was in her flat?"

"Oh, yeah," Jojen confirmed. "It was getting dark out when I drove here yesterday. I was very surprised when her name wasn't in the residents. But I still have my spare key so I went up there anyway and walked into an empty flat. I asked the building management why and they told me she moved out Friday morning. I never told Mom and Dad last night, but then they started freaking out this morning, so I'm here again."

"Did she even show up at work?" Jon asked.

"Yes," Lyra spoke up, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. "In fact, Friday was her last day at work—here's your hot chocolate."

"Thanks," Arya said. "So, Meera never really told anyone?"

Jojen shook her head. "Neither I nor my parents knew about it."

"Technically, I knew about it," Lyra pointed out as she sat down next to Jorelle. "But I didn't know that the Reeds didn't know Meera was resigning. I found out because the Editor-in-Chief offered me Meera's position. Also, Meera told me that I shouldn't tell anyone outside the office that she's resigning because she wanted it to come from her."

Arya huffed. "Well, Great!" She grumbled. "Us coming here is a dead-end. If we don't know where Meera is, how in seven hells are we gonna find Bran?"

Jojen cleared his throat. "So, you haven't seen Bran since…when?"

"Since yesterday," Arya confirmed. "Haven't seen him all day. He never even went to the dining hall and ate with us, so we all just assumed he kept his mini-fridge stocked because he never left his room."

Jojen frowned. "You have mini-fridges in your rooms?"

"Uh, yeah," She nodded. "It's disguise as a nightstand. But anyway, just this morning my Mom was starting to worry so she got the spare key and went into his room. But he's not there. She freaked out and told everyone who's awake to find him. And they woke me up, I got pissed until they told me Bran could've moved in with Meera here in White Harbor and now we're here."

Jorelle turned to Arya. "Aren't you running your construction company with Bran?"

"Yes, exactly," Arya said. "That's why he cannot just leave."

Jon cleared his throat. "Speaking of Bran," He said, holding the expanded envelope and placing it on the coffee table. "We found that in his room." He turned to Lyanna. "And Lya since you're the lawyer, can you check if that's legit?"

"What in seven hells is in there that you don't want me to see?" Arya demanded.

Lyanna took the envelope, opened it, and read its contents. Her eyebrows got higher as she read on. "Oh my gods!" She exclaimed. "How did Bran made all of this possible? You need a lawyer and an accountant to handle these. And technically, he needs Arya's signature—ooh! I stand corrected, it's right there."

"Um, Lya," Jon raised his hand. "If you please, just break it to her gently."

Lyanna frowned at her. "You haven't read any of these papers yet?"

"Oh, I would've," Arya said, then slowly turned to Jon. "Except, I was driving. And the guy sitting on the shotgun refused to read it aloud for me because he's worried that I might drive the car into a tree or off the freeway or something."

"Well, I think Jon made the right decision." Lya agreed. "Because knowing you, you might just drive into a tree. We're namesakes, I would know."

"Just tell me what's in it."

"Okay," Lya shrugged. "First, there's your business permit, a renewed one for the _Northern Alliance Builders_." She set the paper on the coffee table close enough so Arya could read it.

"What?" Arya frowned. "Why would that be renewed? Renewal of business permits was every five years, right? We're only operating for two years."

"Yeah," Lya said, then placed another paper from the envelope on the table. "This is why it's renewed. An _Affidavit of Transfer of Ownership_ was attached to it. It states that it's changing its type of business from partnership to sole proprietorship. It means you're now the sole owner of the _Northern Alliance Builders_."

"WHAT?!" Arya screamed.

Jon snorted. "This is why I didn't want you to read it in the car."

Arya ribbed Jon. "This is not funny, Jon!" She said in panic. "How the fuck did this happened? Bran needs my approval for that. So that can be considered null and void, right?"

"Well, not exactly," Lya countered, pointing at the bottom part of the paper. "Because you signed it, it is valid. It's not a forgery either."

"I didn't sign anything," Arya argued.

Lya examined the paper closely. "That does not look forged at all." Lya insisted. "And it's sealed by an attorney."

"But I didn't sign anything…" Arya started to say but remembered about three weeks ago when Bran barged into her office when she was in a hurry because she was late for a meeting with a client. He had a bunch of papers that needed her signature and she hurriedly signed them without reading the contents. "THAT SON OF A BITCH! He tricked me into signing some important papers!"

"Whoa, easy there," Jorelle said. "Also, you just called your Mom a bitch."

"Well, she's kind of a bitch," Arya pointed out. "But that's not the point here! I can't believe I never read the papers he had me signed." She took a deep breath. "Okay, Lya, what else you got for me?"

"Well, the others are more of into your inheritances." Lya continued. "Let's put it this way, when a person dies everything he left behind will go to his/her heirs. In your case, Ned Stark has five children so—"

"Wait, I know that." Arya interrupted. "But what about Jon and Theon?"

"Well, Jon is technically his Mom's heir because he was never really adopted by your Dad," Lya said. "And Theon gets a smaller percentage compared to the natural children. But, going back to your inheritance, there's five of you, everything your Dad owns, it'll be divided into five." She placed two more of the papers on the table. "According to this _Shares and Assets Transfer Agreement_ and _Affidavit of Inheritance of a Vehicle_, Bran has given all his shares and assets to you, including his car. And apparently, he had fooled your Dad as well, because it has his signature."

Arya couldn't believe it. Bran had apparently left, presumably with Meera, and he left her everything. The company they both founded, _Northern Alliance Builders_ to run by herself; all his shares and assets from _Stark Industries_, including his car. She was mad that he tricked her into signing legal papers and left without a proper explanation.

"When I see Bran again," Arya declared. "I'm going to punch him in the gut and then I'll crush his nuts!"

"Now, now," Jon patted his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Cuz."

"How the fuck are we supposed to find them now?" Arya asked, miserably. "We don't even have leads."

"Actually, we have potential leads," Jon said, then turned to Jojen. "Jojen, do you still remember the courier who delivered your stuff?" He asked.

Jojen nodded. "Yeah, of course," He replied. "The _Pegasus Express_."

"Hmm," Jon thought. "You said the things delivered to you were the stuff you left in Meera's flat. But where are the other stuff?"

"That's another question," Jojen retorted. "Most of the furniture and appliances in that flat were bought by Meera herself. I don't really know what happened to them since they weren't in the flat when I went there yesterday."

"Exactly!" Jon cried. "Which meant Meera sent those things elsewhere. We can ask the courier's management if she sent other packages and where she sent them."

"Oh, nice!" Jorelle wailed, then nodded at Arya. "It's great that you brought Jon with you."

"Uh," Lyanna raised her hand in protest. "I hate to be a hole in the bag here, but establishments like that are subjected to privacy laws and confidentiality clauses. They cannot just reveal information like that to anyone unless you have a court order."

"Oh, godsdammit!" Arya cussed. "Now, what?"

"We have two other leads," Jon reminded her, then turned to Lyanna. "Lya, you said to make those papers possible, Bran needed a lawyer and an accountant. And unless he fooled Robb and Sansa as well, then it's a dead-end."

"Yes," Lya grabbed one of the papers and read the bottom part where the signatures were located. "And nope, it's not Robb or Sansa's signature. It's someone named, Lucas Blackwood and he's a lawyer-accountant."

"Okay," Arya slowly nodded. "We need to find him and ask him questions."

"That last name is from the Riverlands," Lyra spoke up.

"I know," Arya said, matter of factly. "My Mom's side of the family is friends with the Blackwoods. But I don't know him."

"We'll set an appointment," Jon suggested. "This Lucas Blackwood is one of the few people who might know the whereabouts of Bran and Meera."

"Dude, we don't even know where this guy's office is." She countered, then glanced at Lyanna. "Namesake, you're a lawyer. Do you have any idea who this guy is?"

Lyanna shook her head. "Sorry, but no."

Jorelle grabbed her laptop from the coffee table. "Okay, I'm on it." She said as her hands flew on the keyboard. "Oh, here we go. He works at a Law firm here in White Harbor."

"Jory," Lya said. "There are three law firms here in White Harbor. He doesn't work in the firm I'm in. And if he was, I would know. He could be in any of the other two law firms, so please be specific."

"Fine," Jorelle sighed. "The _Manderly & Norrey Law Firm_. And ooh! It's not far from the _Aquamarine_."

Jon glanced at the laptop. "Just seven blocks from the _Aquamarine_. Nice." He said. "You can walk to get there."

Arya rolled her eyes at her cousin. "It's snowing outside," She pointed out. "There could be a blizzard coming, who knows. And it's way too fucking cold to walk." She then pulled out her phone and started punching the number of the concierge. "I'm calling that office to set an appointment with him."

"Hey, put it on speaker," Jon advised. "I wanna hear it."

She rang Lucas Blackwood's office and placed the call on speaker. Soon enough, an answer came from the other line.

_"Attorney Blackwood's Office,"_ A woman's voice answered. _"Good morning, my name is Caryn, how can I be of service?"_

"Hello, Caryn," Arya greeted. "It's good to know your open even on Sundays." She managed a chuckle. "Anyways, is Attorney Blackwood currently in the office? Because I have a really urgent matter that needs his legal advice."

_"Yes, Attorney Blackwood is currently in the office,"_ Caryn informed. _"But I'm afraid he's very busy at the moment."_

"Really?" Arya said with false amusement. "But I live close by. I could literally walk to your office and intercept him."

_"I'm sorry, ma'am,"_ Caryn apologized. _"But if you'd like, I'll schedule an appointment for you tomorrow._ _And if you really need legal advice now, I could refer you to other lawyers here in the firm."_

"We can't wait until tomorrow." Jojen insisted. "It has to be now."

Arya covered her phone's mic with her hand and turned to Jojen. "Just trust me. I got this." She cleared her throat and went back to conversing with Caryn. "No, no, it has to be Attorney Blackwood. But…I guess I'll just have to meet him tomorrow. Is he available in the morning?"

_"We'll be delighted,"_ Caryn said. _"Can I get your name, ma'am, please? So I can set an appointment."_

"Arya Stark." She blurted out.

Arya could hear Caryn gasp from the other line. _"Um, could you hold on for just a moment, Ms. Stark?"_

"Of course," She then smiled at the others with her. "We're meeting him today."

Jon frowned at her. "You just used your last name to get something done."

"No, Jon," Arya argued. "She asked for my name. That's it. It's not my fault."

_"Hello, Ms. Stark?"_ Caryn called out. _"I have good news. Attorney Blackwood can meet you in an hour. So around eleven this morning, is that alright?"_

"Really? Oh my gods!" Arya said in delight. "That would be great. I'll just meet him in his office. I can't thank you enough, Caryn."

_"Oh, it's just a part of my job, Ms. Stark,"_ Caryn said. _"It's no problem at all."_

Once Arya had hung up the call, she smirked at her friends. "And that, bitches," She said in confidence. "Is how it's done."

"Nicely done, namesake," Lyanna amused. "And because of that, I am so telling my secretary not to be bothered by big names."

"Alright, so we still got an hour," Jon spoke up. "Which brings to my other lead: tracking their phones."

"Well, probably Bran," Jojen said. "Meera's phone is with me." He pulled out a phone from his pocket and showed it to them. "Her number's deactivated. And we can't track her car as well. She left it at home in Greywater."

"Ugh, godsdammit!" Arya wailed. "Bran's car was parked right next to mine when we left to come here, so I'm pretty sure his phone is probably just in his room too. But we can track their last phone calls, right?" She turned to Jorelle. "Jory?"

Jorelle raised her hands in surrender. "Whoa, first of all, I work at the wireless internet department in _Stormbreaker Telecom_. Second, we have very strict privacy laws, violating those will mean immediate termination." She sighed. "Look, I wanna help you guys, just not that way. Also, you'd have to be an admin to have that access to records of phone calls."

"An Admin, you say." Arya pondered. "Well, you just gave me an idea." She grabbed her phone again, searched through her contacts, called, and waited for the answer.

"Who are you calling this time?" Jon asked.

_"Arya, hey!"_ Gendry answered. _"You called. This is a surprise." _

"What's up, Baratheon?" Arya greeted. "Listen I'm gonna go straight to the point here. I need a favor."

_"Alright, what can I do for you?"_ He asked.

"You can track phone calls, right?" She pointed out. "I mean, _Stormbreaker Telecom_ does."

"Put it on speaker." Jon insisted.

Arya obliged. She placed the call on speaker and put the phone on the coffee table for everyone to hear.

_"Correction, we can track assessments of phone calls,"_ Gendry said. _"It's usually like the name of the person who the caller's calling, their locations when the phone call happened, how long the phone call lasted. And the time and date it occurred. Why are you asking about this?"_

"Just tell him." Jon urged.

_"Who was that?" _Gendry asked._ "And am I on speaker? I can hear my voice echo."_

"That was my cousin, Jon," Arya replied. "And yes, you're on speaker. I'm sorry, but we're desperate, okay? My brother, Bran has gone unplugged, and so did his girlfriend, Meera. We cannot find them. And besides the lawyer who arranged the transfer of Bran's shares, this is our only other way."

Gendry was quiet for a moment, then sighed. _"Alright, I'll take a look at it." _He said. _"You're lucky I know my Uncle Renly's password because you have to be an admin to look at the phone tracking records."_ They could hear him typing on a keyboard from the other line. _"Okay, what's your brother's name?"_

"Brandon Eddard Stark," She blurted out.

_"Oh, here we go,"_ Gendry said. _"Let's see—oh damn! Your brother has two numbers registered in his name. And both are already deactivated."_

"What do you mean he has two numbers?" Arya asked.

_"One he had been using since the year 300 AC,"_ Gendry informed. _"And the other, just recently, like two months ago."_

"Okay, who were his last phone calls? Give me the names of the last three people he had called or called him."

_"You were his last phone call,"_ He notified. _"You were in Winterfell and Brandon was in White Harbor when the phone call happened, it was five minutes long and it was three in the afternoon. And then your Mom, Catelyn Stark, they were both in Winterfell, forty-eight seconds at seven in the evening; and then someone named Lucas Blackwood, they were both in White Harbor, a minute and seven seconds long at five in the afternoon."_

"Bingo!" Jon snapped his fingers. "We really need to see that lawyer."

"_Anyways,"_ Gendry continued, _"All phone calls were made last Friday. And that's just the old number."_

"And the new number?" Jon asked.

_"It only had one name throughout his logs,"_ Gendry announced. _"Either in-going or out-going calls. And it's Meera Reed."_

Everyone in the room exchanged glances.

Jojen leaned closer to the phone. "Hey," He spoke up. "Can you look through her logs as well?"

_"Who was that?"_ Gendry asked. _"How many people are in there with you?"_

Before Arya was about to answer, all three Mormont girls shook their heads and made hand gestures that said, _tell him we're not here!_ And she got that immediately.

"Uh, just two," Arya lied. "My cousin Jon, and Jojen Reed, Meera's brother. We're working together to find them. When was the last time Bran called Meera in the new number?"

_"The recorded one was last week,"_ Gendry stated. _"It's a forty-five-minute call at ten at night. There are other phone calls listed in the logs that don't show any data on location, date, and time."_

"Why is that?" Jojen asked.

"_Well, phone calls won't get tracked until its duration reaches twenty seconds,"_ Gendry informed. _"In fact, after his last registered call, all the durations of the succeeding were below twenty seconds. The longest call made is nineteen seconds. By the way, I'm checking Meera's right now and it's more of the same. She also has two numbers that are deactivated. And get this, the new one had only been registered two months ago."_

"What about her old number?" Jojen urged. "Who was her last phone call?"

_"Um, oh, Lyra Mormont,"_ Gendry read_. "That's her colleague, right? I remember the Mormonts when we trekked Mt. Alarra."_

Arya, Jon, and Jojen all turned to Lyra across the adjacent couch, to which Lyra only shrugged.

Arya cleared her throat. "Any other people?"

_"Here's another similar name, Lucas Blackwood."_

Jojen made a face at his half-empty mug of hot chocolate. "It's a dead-end." He said sadly.

"Gendry," She called. "Can you take snapshots of those?"

_"Arya—"_

"Please!" Arya pleaded. "I have to rub something to my Dad's face to wake him up from his old grudge."

Gendry groaned. _"Fine. But do not show it to other people. This is classified."_

"I won't." She said.

A moment later, Arya received images on her phone that Gendry had taken on Bran and Meera's call logs. And yep, everything is there.

"I can't thank you enough, Gendry."

_"It's nothing,"_ He chuckled._ "Though, I'm heading to Winterfell two days from now. We can have coffee. Maybe have some ramen or phò. And I can help at a soup kitchen."_

Across from them, Arya could tell Jorelle was about to scream, but Lyra and Lyanna covered her mouth with their hands and shushed her.

"Dude," Jon spoke up. "Are you asking her out?"

_"Uh…"_ Gendry started to say.

"Okay," Arya interjected, picking up her phone for the table. "You don't need to hear that anymore." She said, then turned off the phone's speaker. She stood, walked out of earshot to the foyer, and placed her phone near her ear. "Hey, sorry about that."

_"Oh, I get that,"_ He responded. _"I have a sister too. I'm definitely like that when it comes to Myrcella's suitors." _He chuckled. _"So, anyway, are we on? Coffee and ramen or go to a soup kitchen? Take your pick."_

"I'm fine with all of that," Arya said. "And I think the kids at a soup kitchen will be thrilled to meet the president's son."

Behind her, Jon cleared his throat. "Um, hello?"

Arya glanced back at Jon, who standing by the archway linking the foyer and the living room. He had his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face.

"If you don't mind, we're trying to find Bran and Meera." He pointed out.

"I have to go," She told Gendry. "I'll talk to you later."

_"Okay,"_ Gendry said. _"Do update me whatever happens and if you need help, don't hesitate to call."_

"Alright, thanks again." She said, then hung up the call.

Ever since they hung out in Harrenhal, Gendry became one of her go-to persons and one of her shoulders-to-cry-on whenever she needs cheering up—besides Jon and Bran, of course. Whenever they were together, most people would assume they were boyfriend and girlfriend. But nope, they were just really good friends.

Jon smirked. "You have a lot of explaining to do, little cousin."

"Come on, dude," Arya groaned. "Not you too."

They walked back to the living room to all three Mormonts grinning at her like crazy.

"Well, Arya," Jorelle teased. "There's no denying it this time. We all heard that he asked you out."

Arya rolled her eyes. "Can we go back to the situation at hand?" She turned to Lyra. "Lyra, you were Meera's last phone call."

"Oh, yeah," Lyra recalled. "Friday was Meera's last day at work so I called her because Gwyn and I were planning a girls' night out, but she had already left White Harbor for Greywater Watch. That was our last conversation."

Arya sat back on the couch. "So the lawyer is our last chance of finding them?"

"Apparently, yes," Jon said.

"Didn't Robb checked CCTV footage at home?" Arya asked. "Or the grounds and the gates?"

"Yes," Jon confirmed. "He said Bran left at around three in the morning. He had a backpack and took Summer with him."

"Did he not take a cab or an uber?" She wondered. "We can totally track down the car's plate in the DMV."

"Well, apparently, Bran had thought about that too," Jon said. "Because according to Robb, the cameras at the gates showed him walking the sidewalk until he was out of the feed. That's where he probably took a cab and left."

"Damn," Lyanna said in a small voice. "If I'm not mistaken, he took time to plan this. He's far too smart to leave a trail."

"But he did leave a trail," Jojen spoke up. "This lawyer is our last chance."

"Hmm," Jorelle had a sad expression. "But what if it's another dead-end?"

Arya stood. "Then I'll have to scour Bran's room for other clues. Turn it upside-down if I have to."

. . .

Arya had thanked the Mormonts, before leaving their house. In return, they promised to help in any way by alerting their other friends. Arya and Jon rode her car towards the _Manderly & Norrey Law Firm_. She offered for Jojen to join them, but he insisted he drive Meera's car instead.

Once they reached the street by the _Aquamarine_, Arya parked the car by the nearest _Starkgrand Coffee_.

"Uh, why are we stopping here?" Jon demanded. "The DesMark building is still four blocks away."

"Calm your tits, Jon," Arya assured. "I'm just getting coffee. You want anything?"

"We just had hot chocolate," He reminded her.

"The one I'm buying isn't for me, dum-dum." She said as she got out of the car. "Now, sit tight, I won't be long."

She went inside the _Starkgrand Coffee_, ordered a hot espresso on-the-go, and walked back into the car. They finally drove to meet Lucas Blackwood.

According to Jorelle, the _Manderly & Norrey Law Firm_ is on the fourth floor of the DesMark building.

Jojen was already in the lobby, waiting for them. "You obviously took a detour." He said once they got close, then noticed the coffee cup she was holding. "You bought coffee? We just had hot chocolate."

"Dude, that's what I told her." Jon pointed out.

Arya cleared her throat. "Will you both just suck it up and argue later?" She interjected. "We have an appointment."

They rode the elevator in silence. The concierge then gave them directions to Atty. Blackwood's office.

A red-haired young woman greeted them—which Arya assumed was Caryn. "Good morning, Ms. Stark," She said with a smile, then turned to Jon and Jojen in confusion. "And, um, company. Atty. Blackwood has been expecting you. Right this way, please."

It was no surprise that Caryn recognized her. For that, Arya had the press and social media to blame for comparing a current photo of herself standing next to her Dad, Ned during a fundraising event, and a photo of her Aunt Lyanna standing next to her grandfather, Rickard in the same event nearly two decades ago for some stupid throwback or _this day in history_.

"Oh, before we go," Arya handed her the coffee cup. "This is for you. It's a small thank you. A compensation for bothering you on a Sunday and also, a hot beverage in the winter."

Caryn looked like she was just handed a gold bar. She hesitated as she took the coffee cup from her. "I—thank you, Ms. Stark."

Arya smiled. "Don't mention it, Caryn."

Caryn led them to a door that had a silver plate on it that said, _Atty. Lucas Blackwood, CPA_. She knocked before opening the door, then gestured for them to enter.

The office had a sleek and modern interior with industrial lighting. There's nothing but a desk, two bookshelves, a couch, and a four-seat conference table by the glass windows.

A guy in a suit had just stood up from his chair by the desk and greeted them. "Ms. Stark," He greeted as he reached for a shake. "It's a pleasure."

Lucas Blackwood had brown short shaggy hair and wore graded eyeglasses. He was tall and lean. If he was blond, he could pass off as Jojen's taller and fair-skinned twin.

"And you as well," Arya said as she shook his hand, then gestured to her companions. "This is my cousin, Jon Stark, and our friend, Jojen Reed."

Lucas' facial expression turned serious like he had just stepped on a landmine and was figuring out how to escape without exploding. Then he forced out a smile as he went on to shake Jon and Jojen's hands.

"You've got a nice place." Jojen said in awe.

"Thank you," Lucas acknowledged. "I actually had it renovated recently," He turned to Arya. "The design was from your firm."

"Hmm," She smiled smugly. "Well, I have to say, you have great taste." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, to business."

Lucas led the way to the small conference table and they all sat. "In all honesty," He said. "Your brother, Brandon, had told me to expect you anytime this week."

"Well, that's what we came here for." Arya said, then nodded at Jon.

Jon placed the envelope on the table and slid it across towards Lucas. "It has come to our attention that you had prepared these papers."

Lucas opened the envelope and read the contents of the papers. "You already signed these."

"Actually," Arya responded. "My brother took advantage of me not reading before signing those when I was in a hurry. Is there any way you can nullify it? I mean, it's totally one-sided."

Lucas snorted. "Ms. Stark, even if you tear it into bits, it is valid." He said.

"But I wasn't even aware of it." She argued.

"Yes, but unless you can prove that your signature is forged," Lucas pointed out. "We can't nullify these."

Arya and Jon exchanged glances.

"Fine," She took back the envelope and handed them to Jon. "That's not what we're here for anyway."

"Mr. Blackwood—" Jon started to say.

"Please, call me Lucas."

"Lucas," Jon started to say. "We were aware that you had a phone call with my cousin, Brandon Stark last Friday at around five in the afternoon."

Lucas frowned. "Wait, how did you know—?"

"That's not important." Jon interrupted. "Did you meet with him that day?" He asked.

Lucas nodded. "Yes, he showed me those papers," He recalled, pointing at the envelope. "Making sure if they were signed and I had it sealed with my embosser."

Arya leaned forward. "How many times has he had an appointment with you before last Friday?"

"Just once," Lucas said. "And your brother didn't exactly set an appointment. He just came to the firm and asked if there were lawyers who were also accountants. They found me."

"They?" Jojen spoke up.

"Oh, he came with his girlfriend." Lucas turned to Jojen. "Which I would believe is your sister, am I right?"

"Yes, and then what happened?"

"They asked if I could help them draft papers for transfer of shares," Lucas continued. "I agreed, of course. But they gave me a deadline, that's when I became suspicious."

"Did you ask them why?"

"Of course," Lucas said. "But they never said anything. Now, seeing that you're here, on a Sunday, just proves my suspicions that they were planning to elope or something. And you're here asking if I know anything."

Arya shrugged. "Well, in some ways, you're right."

"Hmm, I don't know that much, Ms. Stark," Lucas said. "But I did hear them talking about mailing boxes overseas."

Jon turned to Jojen. "Reed, your sister sent you your stuff from White Harbor, right? Does the _Pegasus Express_ even deliver overseas?"

Jojen shook his head. "As far as I know, they're a local courier. Their services are exclusively just the North and few cities in Westeros."

Arya slumped on the chair. "Godsdammit, it's another dead-end." She muttered, then stood from her seat. "Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Blackwood." She held out his hand for a shake. "We apologize for the inconvenience caused."

Lucas stood and shook her hand. "It's not a problem, Ms. Stark." He said. "But if I hear from them or anything, I'll make sure that information will get to you."

By that time, Jon and Jojen had gotten up then shook hands with Lucas.

"Thank you, we appreciate that." Arya smiled.

They had then walked out of the office. Arya, however, was unsure and uncertain about what to do next.

**JON**

That Sunday, Jon got involved in an unofficial search mission and had got a bomb from the past about his parents—that he didn't even know about—blew up in his face.

Jon had just finished his morning run around the grounds—yes, he does it even in the winter. He had just gotten into his room, did a few stretches, and right before he was about to take a hot shower, Robb pounded on his bedroom door in Stark Manor.

When Jon started college in the _Westeros Military Academy_, he had been living in the barracks because that's what happens when you enter the academy. And they were only allowed six hours out on Sundays, so he used those few hours to video chat with his cousins.

Since his Mom died, leaving Jon an orphan, his Uncle Ned—his Mom's brother—adopted him into the family. Well, not legally adopted, more like he became his legal guardian. He didn't remember anything about his mother except that she used to sing to make him sleep and the long scar on his forehead (which is now nothing but a visible white line), is a big reminder of that tragic day. And he was thankful for them being so welcoming and never excluded him or Theon from everything, whether it's family gatherings or social events.

After he graduated and started working in Castle Black Military Base, he had moved into his Uncle Benjen's house in the Gift. But he often visits Winterfell on the weekends and if there are special occasions or he just wants company and relationship advice and unintentional _I told you so's_—mostly from Arya, after nasty break-ups.

Speaking of relationships, his current girlfriend, Ygritte Giantsbane, is spunky. That's the word he always uses to describe her. She's someone who knows what she wants and does it with a flick of a finger. Not to mention, a skilled sniper, very attractive and has a can-do attitude. Ygritte is two years ahead of him in the academy. And yes, she had definitely barked orders at him a few times when she was his senior. _You call that a run, Stark?_ She had yelled. _Stop being a wussy and run like a wolf is chasing you!_

But he had gotten to know her better when they were briefed on his first mission as a Military Black Operative. He's just so fucking blessed to have her in his life. Also, she got along well with both Arya and Sansa, so he considered that a very good sign. Her Dad, Tormund is a jolly, happy-go-lucky man in his fifties and a very good friend and colleague of his Uncle Benjen. And thank god for that. After his Uncle Ned's unspoken feud with Howland Reed, family backgrounds suddenly mattered.

That particular Sunday, however, was a rollercoaster, emotionally.

"Jon!" Robb called as he pounded away on his bedroom door. "Jon, open up!"

His cousin sounded urgent so he rushed to open his door. Robb looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Dude, is everything okay?" He asked.

"No, it's not," Robb replied with a shaky voice. "Mom is freaking out because she entered Bran's room to give him breakfast and he's not there as well as most of his stuff."

"What?" He exclaimed.

"I know, it's not like I'm in enough pressure already!" Robb complained. "Now, Mom's crying because she's all sad, I have to read the new marketing proposals sent to me via e-mail, and Talisa's in a weird mood swing especially since she's gonna give birth any day now. By the way, you're gonna be my son's godfather."

"Really?" Jon smiled. "Oh, it'll be an honor. Also," He raised his hands in surrender. "Calm down. You obviously have a lot on your plate. Just let me handle this one. Now, what were you saying about Bran?"

"Hey!" A voice called out from the hallway.

They both turned and saw Sansa, who was still in her pink robe, walking towards them.

"Mom's crying," Sansa noticed. "What is going on?"

Robb turned to his sister. "Little sis, don't freak out, okay?" He sighed. "It appears that Bran has gone M.I.A. on us."

Sansa frowned. "M.I.A. as in…wait, _what?!_"

"Missing in action," Jon explained. "Even though that term has military origins, it's now a modern slang used to imply that a person hasn't been seen in some period of time."

Sansa waved him off. "Oh, I know what it means. But why?"

Robb threw his hands in exasperation. "How would I know?" He said. "Bran doesn't share his problems with me."

Jon had a thought. "Who's the one person Bran goes to when he's having problems?"

All three of them exchanged looks. "Arya." They said in unison.

"Where is she?" Robb asked.

"Well, it's Sunday," Jon spoke up. "And it's the winter season. If I had to guess, she's probably still snoring right now."

"Then wake her up," Sansa insisted.

Robb hesitated. "You know Arya was very specific on not disturbing her on Sundays."

"But this is sort of, an emergency."

"Okay, you wake her up," Robb concluded. "I have to make a phone call and check the CCTV."

"Really?" Sansa got annoyed. "Now?"

"I'm going to check if Bran's at the penthouse or at work."

"Yes," Jon snorted. "And I will take a hot bath as well. So, you do it, Sansa."

Sansa crossed her arms. "You're just doing this to avoid her wrath."

"Maybe, maybe not," Robb smirked. "I'll join you in a moment." Then took his phone from his pajamas' pocket and walked further in the hallway to make a phone call. It's a distinct feature Robb wanted in his pajamas: pockets. And because those RTW pajamas in department stores usually don't have pockets, he has most of his pajamas tailor-made like his suits.

"Don't worry, Sansa," Jon assured. "We'll join you in pulling Arya out of bed in a moment."

Jon took a five-minute shower, got dressed before heading to Arya's room. Robb was just heading there as well just as Jon walked out the door.

"Hey," Jon called out. "Did you find anything?"

Robb shook his head. "Not exactly. Bran left at three in the morning, with a backpack and Summer. He had just walked until he was out of the camera's feed. And that's probably the time he took a cab or something."

Partly, this experience made him think about the time he was in the academy, from taking limited time showers to being yelled orders from superiors to solving complicated cases relayed out to them by senior officers. Case in point, Jon had to cope with Arya yelling at them to leave her alone for bothering her on a Sunday and pointing out each and every clue they and the Mormonts have to locate Bran and Meera, but to no avail.

Arya was being impossible at first until they mentioned Bran being MIA that she sat bolt upright and did what a big sister does to help her little brother whatsoever. She used her connections and made all the necessary phone calls. They even worked together with Meera's brother, Jojen, and met with the lawyer Bran assigned to draft the documents they found in his room, but still, it's a dead end.

Now, Jon, Arya, and Jojen were sitting in the _Starkgrand Coffee_ branch near the _Aquamarine_ after their appointment with Lucas Blackwood.

Arya was the one who ordered while Jon and Jojen find them a table. A few minutes later, Arya came back carrying a tray with their orders.

Despite there being three of them, they have five coffee orders. Of course, he and Jojen each had one and Arya had the other three.

"Why are there five cups?" Jon asked while they sat by their table.

"Because it's winter and we need to keep warm." Arya glared at him as she sat down next to him, then slid Jojen's cup across the table. "Here's your pitch black and your club sandwich platter. Oh, and don't worry, I made damn sure that's Seitan. Bran mentioned once that you were vegan."

"Thank you, Arya," Jojen said as he took his coffee cup. "But I only ordered a coffee."

"It's my treat," Arya said, then passed Jon a layer of Valean Rolls and his cup of hot espresso. "These are for you. And don't touch the brownies, they're mine."

Arya may not show it, but Jon could always tell if she's upset. It's when she's not being her confident, spunky self, but really quiet and not talking to anyone. And also when she's drinking way too much coffee.

"Arya, I know you're upset—" Jon started to say.

"Of course, I'm fucking upset!" Arya snapped. "My brother ran away with his girlfriend. And now, all the stuff he had left behind technically belongs to me. How the fuck do you think I'm supposed to feel, Jon?"

"I totally get you," Jojen spoke up. "It's depressing."

Arya sighed. "And all these happened because of some stupid decades-old, non-sense feud between our Dads." She said. "What are we even supposed to do now?"

"Be patient," Jon answered. "At the moment, it's obvious that they don't want to be found. But given time, we will find something or someone that will lead us to them eventually."

Then something inside Jon snapped. None of them really knew what happened because his Uncle Ned and Howland Reed never mentioned anything about it. And when they do, it's usually accompanied by rage, a glare that says, _we are done talking and do not ever mention it again_. Well, at least, that's what it is with his Uncle Ned. But he had never heard Howland Reed's side of the story.

Jon turned to Jojen. "Jojen, is your Dad home?" He asked.

"Of course," Jojen replied. "It's Sunday."

Arya frowned at him. "Why are you asking about his Dad?"

Jon shrugged. "I, sort of, wanna meet him."

"Why? To fuel my Dad's anger?" Arya pointed out. "I don't think so."

"I agree," Jojen concurred. "It's just bad news, man. Plus, we still have to tell our parents the bad news about Bran and Meera."

"I know," Jon took a deep breath. "But look, there are two sides to every story. And so far, I've only heard Uncle Ned's side and not Howland Reed's. Besides, I can see that my Mom would somehow be like the mediator between them. But seeing that she's…not with us anymore, I feel like that falls on to me now."

"Um, hello?" Arya spoke up. "We are still in the middle of the Bran-Meera problem."

Jon sighed. "Fine, how about I just hear Howland Reed's side of the story?"

"Jon, no offense," Jojen started to say. "But if my Dad never told me or my sister the whole story, why would he tell you?"

"I'm Lyanna's son," Jon blurted out. "And frankly, it's my right to know what happened to my mother hours before she died. Your father was one of the people she had spoken to before she passed."

Jojen sighed. "I guess," He said. "It's worth a try. But if he does tell you anything, I need to be there as well."

"Of course, you're gonna be there, Reed," Arya argued. "Because you're taking us to him."

Both Jon and Jojen turned to her.

Arya rolled her eyes. "I also wanted to be there when he tells you his side of the story."

Jojen sighed. "Alright, then."

They all finished their food and drinks before walking to their cars. Well, technically, it was just Arya's car because Jon had just hitched the ride.

They followed Jojen's car southwest from White Harbor to Greywater Watch. Soon the buildings by the side of the freeways were replaced by tall banyan trees hovering over the road. Despite it being winter, it still had green moss on the trees' trunks and branches. Also, because it's winter, it was dark despite being several minutes past noon, and they had to turn on their headlights to see because it was a bit foggy.

Jon commented as they drove through with their headlight on. "This road is like a tree tunnel in those scary stories," He pointed out. "You know, where someone's car breaks down in the middle of the road but had no one to call help for?"

"Nah," Arya disagreed. "It's giving me more of when you're looking for the hermit-in-the-woods vibe. All creepy and mysterious, I love it! But you know, I think it looks so much greater in the spring and summer."

"You're saying I could easily expect Gandalf somewhere?" Jon asked. "Screaming, _you shall not pass_?"

"What the fuck, Jon?" She snickered. "Well, it's either that or Yoda climbing on your shoulder and offering to complete your Jedi training."

"Yeah," He agreed. "Well, I think the Yoda one is more likely. Because Dagobah is a swamp-covered planet and the Neck is also mostly swamp."

"Or an ogre named Shrek," Arya suggested. "And he'd be yelling, _get out of my swamp!_"

They both chuckled. They had always pointed out pop culture references for fun when on road trips.

"But let's be real," Arya continued. "If we're gonna find something mysterious in these swamps, it's gonna be Children of the Forest. This place isn't Dagobah or Middle Earth or Far Far Away."

"Shrek's house isn't in Far Far Away." He pointed out.

"Whatever." She snapped.

Greywater Watch is a literal town in the swamps. Because of its marshy terrain, most of the buildings in town were elevated or on stilts. And of course, plants with moss were just everywhere, but they were covered with snow and visibly puddles of swamp were frozen. Some even had rowboats nearby.

They followed Jojen's car as through edge of the town, then through a narrow road with frozen swamp on one side and a gated plantation field covered in fog on the other.

Jon had then remembered that the Reeds owned hectares of plantation fields for the different kinds of berries that they supply to the market. Berries are considered difficult to grow because they need to be planted on wet soil. And the Neck had the perfect soil and climate for it.

"Whoa," Arya said in awe.

Jon could see why. "I think what you meant earlier was, Hermit-in-the-Swamps."

The Reed's residence is standing on its own island surrounded by the frozen green swamp waters. Its façade had the typical house in the countryside with vines growing on the walls. From their gates, there was a stone bridge around maybe twenty meters long to get to the island where the house was. It also had topiary landscapes covered in snow. Jon recognized a few shrubs cut into the shape of lizard-lions.

Jojen got off his car and one of their staff, a valet got behind the wheel and probably drove his car to a garage somewhere. He then gestured for them to pull over and Arya obliged.

"I like your garden," Arya said as they met with him on their front porch. "Topiary is not easy, and I'm speaking from experience."

"Thanks," Jojen remarked. "I did half of that myself. But it looks nicer when it's not covered in snow. And yes, it is _not_ easy to prune those." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, follow me."

He led them through the main door. The Reed's home smelled like freshly-picked berries and hot chocolate and it gave Jon an impression of a cozy farmhouse cottage feel, but modern and also spacious. It had polished wooden floors with patterned rugs, bricked walls, exposed timber beams, and of course, potted plants.

Jojen led them into what he assumed was the living room. There was fire cracking in the stone fireplace. On either side of the fireplace, were bookshelves filled with rows of books. The three-corner couch looks so fluffy and comfy, it made Jon wanna grab a book and curl on it all day. And the wooden coffee table had a vase of fresh blue winter roses on it.

Just as they were asked to be seated, Howland Reed burst into the room, with his wife, Jyana, trailing after him. Both of them looked anxious and worried.

"Jojen!" Howland called. "How did it go? Did you find your sister?"

Jojen had a sad expression on his face, then shook his head. "No."

Howland glanced sadly at his wife. He, honestly, looked like he's on the verge of tears. Then he noticed Jojen wasn't alone and frowned.

"Dad," Jojen started to say. "These are—"

"Oh, I know them," Howland said. "Ned's children."

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Reed," Arya held his hands for a shake. "I'm Arya. Sorry to barge in like this after my father's outburst in the charity ball—and I'm sorry for that too."

Howland gave a half-hearted smile. "No worries, Arya."

Arya gestured to Jon. "Oh, and this is my cousin—"

"Aegon, of course." Howland finished. "Lyanna's son."

_What?_ Jon mentally screamed, then he and Arya exchanged confused looks.

"Um," Jon started. "My name is Jon." He corrected.

"Oh," Howland flinched like he had said something embarrassing. "My apologies, Jon." Then said continued to say something in a small voice. "He changed it."

"Who changed what, Dad?" Jojen asked.

"Nothing," Howland quickly said. "It's not my place to tell you."

Mrs. Reed cleared her throat. "Please, be seated." She said. "I'll get you some food." She then disappeared out of the hallway.

Both he and Arya were seated on the couch across Jojen and Howland Reed, while his wife went back to the way they came.

"So," Howland said. "What brings you here? And how do you did you find each other?"

Arya straightened. "We came to White Harbor looking for my brother, Bran. We went to the Mormonts' home and found Jojen there, also looking for his sister."

Both Arya and Jojen explained what had happened earlier, them calling Gendry—though they didn't name him—to track Bran and Meera phone logs, locations and the last people they had in contact with; and then went on to meeting Lucas Blackwood, a lawyer-accountant which was both in contact with Bran and Meera before they supposedly left without a trace.

Jyana Reed came back halfway through the story with a tray of mugs of hot chocolate and plates with slices of berry tiramisu for each of them, then sat down next to her husband.

It was only then did Jon realize that Jojen and Meera were like younger versions of their parents. Jyana Reed was an older version of Meera, with her long curly hair tied her hair back in a ponytail. But unlike Meera who Jon remembered had green eyes like Howland, Jyana has brown eyes and wore glasses. Jojen was a younger carbon copy of his Dad, only without the beard and he wore glasses like his Mom.

"We dug deep," Jojen said. "Called the necessary people, but nothing. It's like, they don't want us to find them."

Howland turned to Arya. "How did your father take it?" He asked.

"Well, no one at home knows about it, yet," Arya admitted. "But they're panicking. And I think Dad's on the verge of reporting Bran as a missing person."

"But don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Reed," Jon spoke up. "When we find something, we'll let you know."

Jyana seemed so lost in thought, but Howland squeezed her hand for assurance. Then there were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"Um, Mom, Dad," Jojen broke the silence. "That's not the only reason they're here." He turned to them.

Arya nudged Jon. "Dude, that's your cue."

"Um, Mr. Reed," Jon started. "I was wondering if—"

Arya rolled her eyes at him. "Just go straight to the point."

Jon took a deep breath before speaking again. "Well, Mr. Reed, you were one of the last people my Mom interacted with before she died. I just wanna know what happened from your point of view that day."

"Yeah," Arya added. "Because Dad kind of painted you as the villain in the story."

Jyana frowned. "He what?"

"Well, yeah, there's that," Jon interjected, turning back to Howland. "But honestly, I don't get that vibe from you at all. And I admired how you handled that little scramble at the charity ball." He sighed. "We were taught to read people in the academy, and I know you're a good person deep down."

That was true. Jon had learned tactics of espionage, an Intermediate level of EMT, and Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) results of Category IV: Valyrian Languages to qualify as a Military Black Operative.

"Academy?" Howland asked like he'd misheard him.

"He's in the military," Arya announced.

"Oh, like your Uncle Benjen." Howland managed a smile. "Good for you."

"So what happened that day?" Jon finally asked. "You said my Mom came here early in the morning with me, right?"

Howland looked down sadly. "Yes," He recalled. "Very early. It was barely six in the morning and there was a blizzard. Our housekeeper said someone was at the door. It was your mother, carrying you and she had a bag with probably clothes in it. She insisted that she needed a ride to White Harbor."

Arya leaned forward. "Why did she want to go to White Harbor?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," Howland admitted. "She would never tell me. Said it was better if I didn't know." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, she insisted that I drive her to White Harbor. But that day, Jyana was sick and no one else was taking care of Meera—she was four months old at that time—so I just handed my car's key to her. I even told her that her timing was perfect because I had just installed a baby's car seat in that car. She said she'll park it somewhere near the _Mermen's Court_ and hide the key under the shotgun seat. I also, reminded her that there's a blizzard and offered for her to stay to wait out the storm. But she said, _No, we have to go now_. I insisted that she stay, but she never listened. I went upstairs to check on Meera, came back down, and Lyanna was gone."

"She went out in the middle of the storm?" Jon shrieked.

Howland nodded. "Yes, she did. So, I ran to the garage, got into one of the pick-up trucks we use to deliver the berries, and drove after her. I remember it being a white-out blizzard because you can barely see five meters ahead." He continued with everyone intently listening. "When I reached Moat Cailin, I noticed there was traffic congestion. Then I realized that there was a multiple vehicle collision on the road heading to White Harbor. Then I see my car, one of its front wheels was up on the median strip. Its bumper and rear were severely crumpled. The paramedics on the scene were trying to get people out of the cars on collision so I parked the pick-up and ran to where my car was. They were restraining me from getting closer so I told them it was my car and they were trying to pull Lyanna out. I insisted that she had a baby with her onboard. They escorted me to an ambulance," He turned to Jon. "You were being treated there because you had a gash on your forehead."

Jon unknowingly touched the long white scar on his forehead.

"You wouldn't stop crying," Howland said. "The paramedic gave you to me and tried to calm you down." Then he turned to Arya. "That's when your father arrived at the scene. He might've recognized my car in the wreckage. He was relieved to see me unharmed, but then he noticed I was holding your cousin with his forehead patched. Ned asked what was going on. I answered as best as I could, but the answers Ned wanted to hear were something I couldn't give him. Because Lya never told me anything rather than she wanted to get to White Harbor. I told him if he wanted to know, he'd have to ask his sister personally. Then he got mad and insisted that I was hiding something. He took the crying baby from me just as they were able to pull Lyanna from the wreckage."

At that point, Howland was on the verge of tears. He took a deep breath before speaking again, facing Jon. "You know, what I admired about your Mom, is that she always looks after others and often not minding her worse situation. She had a broken leg, a gash on her temple, bruised and scratched, but still, she looked around flailing, _where's my son? Is he okay?_ Those were the last words I ever heard from her. Ned was horrified as he hopped into the same ambulance that's taking her and you to the hospital. I followed the ambulance to the nearest hospital, _the Moat Cailin District Hospital_ where she was declared dead on arrival and they had just put the blankets over up before taking her to the morgue to clean her up. So I went to see her in the morgue. Ned was there carrying you, grieving. Then he pushed me against the wall and confronted me again. He asked me the same question he had asked earlier, but I couldn't give him the answer he was looking for. He started blaming me for everything that happened that day. Then Cat and Benjie arrived and they broke us off. I just went home after. When I got here, there were cops and car insurance people. They questioned me because my car was one of those in the collision and I gave my statement. The following day, the Starks held a funeral for Lyanna in Stark Manor. I went there with my wife to pay our respects, but Ned threw us out saying he never wants to see even a shadow of me again. I haven't spoken to him since—until Jojen's graduation, where Bran introduced Meera as his girlfriend."

There was silence again, then felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Someone might've been calling him. But at the moment it didn't seem important, so he ignored it.

"Jon," Howland spoke up. "Look, what happened to your mother—I didn't mean for that to happen. I feel responsible for—" He choked.

"No," Jon answered. "You were only trying to help her. It's not your fault. And I know my Mom would say the same."

Jon actually does mean it. He believed that Howland Reed was a good person. He saw that back in the charity ball. His Uncle Ned called him names and accusing him of things, but he had never even spoken an ill word in retaliation. Also, his phone vibrating in his pocket was increasingly getting annoying.

Howland nodded, then gave a sad smile. "That means a lot coming from you." He said. "And I'm sure Lya would've been proud of the man you've become."

"So," Arya interjected. "Aunt Lya never really told you why she insisted on going to White Harbor?"

Howland shook his head. "No, I think she was too smart to do that." He said. "She knew I'd tell Ned if I knew where she was going. And it was obvious that she didn't want us to know. But I had a theory, though Ned never had the chance to hear it because that was the time he was blaming me for everything."

"What's your theory?" Jon asked curiously.

"That she was going to meet your father." Howland blurted out. "And probably run away with him, because why would she bring you and packed a bag?"

Arya raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you think so?"

"Well, while Lya was pregnant with Jon, she always mentioned that she intended to raise him with both parents. But you know, the Targaryens were forced off Westeros and—"

"Wait," Jon interrupted. "You're saying that my father…is a Targaryen?"

Howland's eyes widened. "Oh, by the old gods," He murmured. "Please don't tell me you didn't know that."

Jon shook his head. "I don't."

The Targaryens were the people who had killed his grandfather Rickard and his Uncle Brandon. That information was even in history books, but this was something new. He never knew anything about his father. He had asked his uncles once when he was eight years old, but got completely shut down with his Uncle Ned saying he was probably dead and to never ask that question again. Growing up, asking that question to his Uncle Ned felt really disrespectful because he had adopted him into his family since his Mom died, he raised him like his own son and given him everything. The least he could do was be thankful that he didn't end up being sent to foster care or an orphanage. And because no one talked about it, he just let it go. Until now.

"How is that even possible?" Arya demanded.

Howland sighed. "Well, I'm not the person who you should be talking to about this subject matter."

"Are you kidding me?" Jon said. "You just told me a lot about my Mom in an hour than my Uncles in twenty-seven years. You're afraid that it's gonna give Uncle Ned more reasons to resent you?"

"I just don't want any trouble," Howland replied. "That kind of talk is a family matter."

Finally, Jon got fed up so he took his phone only to reveal nineteen missed calls from his cousin, Robb, and one message. It was in all caps and it read:

_Robb; 13:28_

_DAD IS GOING TO THE REEDS!_

Jon looked up from his phone. "Oh, no." He muttered.

"What?" Arya asked.

Suddenly, they heard loud arguing voices coming from the door like people had just entered the house.

_"But, sir—"_ A man's voice started to say.

_"I don't care!"_ Another voice answered in an angry tone. _"Where is he?"_

"Oh my gods, is that—?" Arya guessed.

_"Howland!"_ The angry voice called again.

It was too late when Jon recognized who it belonged to until the man himself came to view in the living room: his uncle, Ned Stark showed up in his winter outfit with an angry expression on his face.

"Daddy?!" Arya said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Ned raised his hand. "We'll get to that later." He turned to Howland. "Now, where's my son?" He demanded.

Howland huffed as he stood and faced him. "How in the old gods would I know where your son is?" He said. "And you actually had the audacity to barge into my house thinking it's a lost-and-found corner?"

Ned gave him a sneer. "Honestly, this wouldn't be the first place I'd look. But seeing how you never exactly discouraged your daughter from her relationship with Bran, I assumed he would be here."

"Well, I've got bad news for you, Ned," Howland said. "He's not here. And apparently, my daughter went with him willingly. And now, they're somewhere who-knows-where."

His Uncle Ned's angry expression turned to worry.

"Daddy," Arya spoke up. "Our search for Bran led us here. And quite frankly, too many unanswered questions as well. Mostly about Aunt Lyanna."

Ned gave Howland a deathly glare. "What sob stories are you telling them?"

"The truth, Ned," Howland replied. "Your nephew deserves to know what happened to his mother."

"Oh, you—" Ned started to say.

"Stop it, please!" Arya yelled, making everyone turn to her. "Don't you all get it? You're all arguing to prove a point, but it's not changing the fact that it's not gonna bring Bran and Meera back home." She pointed out. "All of this shit isn't a coincidence. Bran and Meera ran away together and obviously, they don't want to be found! You know why?" She gestured to them bickering. "_This_ is why!"

Everyone went silent, but Arya was on a roll.

"And I don't blame them," She continued. "Because who the fuck wants to be in this kind of environment?" Her eyes began to water. "Did you ever for once think about how it might affect us? How you were fueled with your grudge with each other that you forget about our feelings. And you put the family's reputations first before our needs. No, of course not."

Arya turned to Howland. "I'm sorry for all of this, Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Jojen." She apologized. "You were right, one us did take after Aunt Lyanna." She turned to her father. "And it's Bran. You know the worst part? He left no trace for us to even to have leads in finding them."

Then she trotted out of the living room. Jon gave the Reeds an apologetic and _thank you_ look before following his cousin out of the house.

The ride back to Winterfell was silent. He and Arya hadn't spoken a word to each other until they reached Stark Manor. They had to break the news in the family room, where his Aunt Cat and his cousins, Robb, Sansa and Rickon were waiting. And when they did, Catelyn Stark wept. Robb and Sansa were upset, and Rickon was mostly confused like he didn't know what in seven hells was going on.

His Uncle Ned arrived home several minutes after they told the news, and his Aunt Cat literally attacked him—pushing and punching him that Robb and Sansa had to restrain her.

"This is your fault!" Catelyn screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Bran wouldn't have done this if it weren't for you!"

Now, it was quite obvious to Jon growing up that Bran was the closest to his Aunt Cat. So yeah, her being very upset about it said a lot. And it's the same way Arya was to his Uncle Ned.

While all the commotion happened, Jon had quietly walked back to his room to gather his stuff and leave for the Gift as soon as possible.

His white-furred dog, Ghost was lying on his bed. He jumped and wagged his tail when he saw Jon enter.

"Hello, boy," He greeted, gently patting his head. "As much as I wanted to stay here, we have to go."

He gave him a doggie treat before packing his stuff up. And yes, Jon honestly didn't even want to tell anyone he was leaving early. He usually spent his weekends in Stark Manor and drive North to the Gift on early on Mondays so he can freshen up before heading to work. But after everything that happened that day, and after Howland Reed's statement, he didn't feel like staying there.

Jon nearly succeeded, but Robb was able to intercept him when Ghost apparently howled to his littermates.

"Hey," Robb called out. "Leaving so soon?"

"Uh, yeah," Jon said. "I still have some stuff to fix in the Gift." He lied.

"Oh, okay then," Robb shrugged. "Say hi to Uncle Benjen for me."

Jon nodded, then turned to Ghost. "Come on, boy." He gestured for him to follow Jon to their underground garage.

He had Ghost trained at Castle Black to the point where he's very disciplined and almost didn't need a leash anymore. Almost, because Ghost is huge and people tend to be terrified of him because he looks like a wolf. He still used a leash when they're in public places. Ghost followed orders without hesitation and he didn't chase cats. He may be huge and wolf-like, but he loves cuddles and doggie treats. And if he would, Jon could register him as a service dog.

Jon wasted no time and drove off just as soon as he had strapped Ghost with the doggie seatbelt.

The Gift was the housing facility to families with ranks in the military, whether it be officers who worked at either _Castle Black Military Base_, the _Shadow Tower Airfield_, or _Eastwatch Harbor Naval Base_.

The house he lived in in the Gift was assigned to his Uncle Benjen. He invited him to live with him because he didn't wanna live alone in a fairly big house. According to Tormund—Ygritte's Dad—his Uncle Benjen used to live there with his girlfriend, but she died in a raid mission in the Westerlands and he never had SO in his life since.

He arrived home to his Uncle Benjen, drinking hot chocolate on his recliner by the fireplace.

"You're back early," His Uncle Benjen said. "Oh, by the way, I made bread pudding and there's hot chocolate as well."

"Thanks, Uncle Benjen." He replied.

"Oh, wait," Benjen stopped him. "I know that face, what's wrong?" He asked.

Besides Ygritte and Arya, his Uncle Benjen could always tell if there was something wrong. No matter how good he hides it.

Jon sighed. "It's a long story, Uncle Benjen."

Benjen glanced at his watch then shrugged. "Well, it's only three in the afternoon, Jon." He said. "Which meant we have a lot of time."

Jon sat on the couch adjacent to the recliner. "Alright, first off. I sort of have some bad news: Bran run away with his girlfriend."

Benjen nearly choked on his hot chocolate. "What?" He shrieked in disbelief.

"Well, Uncle Ned found out that Bran's girlfriend, Meera is the daughter of Howland Reed." He informed. "And it turns out they haven't spoken to each other since my Mom died."

Benjen made a tsk sound. "Oh, right." He said. "Ned had always blamed Howland for Lya's death."

"She died in an accident, right?" Jon recalled. "All Howland Reed did was lent her his car."

Benjen stared at him in surprise.

"I spoke to him earlier."

"You _what?_"

"But that's not the information that surprised me at all, Uncle Benjen." Jon took a deep breath before speaking again. "When we met, he called me a different name. He called me…Aegon," He blurted out. "Who in seven hells is Aegon? He also said my father was a Targaryen."

Benjen's face dropped. "Jon…"

"If you say, '_I'm not the person you should be talking to about this_'," Jon interrupted, quoting his fingers in the air. "Then who should I be talking to about it then? My Mom's dead, so it's either you or Uncle Ned. And quite frankly, I'd rather hear it from you _than_ Uncle Ned."

His Uncle Benjen was quiet for a while like he was hesitating.

"Please, Uncle Benjen," Jon pleaded. "I just want to know the truth."

Benjen sighed, then finally talked. "Alright, what do you wanna know?"

"Why did Howland Reed call me _Aegon_?" Jon asked.

Benjen placed his mug of hot chocolate on the side table next to his recliner. "_Aegon_ was the name your Mom gave you." He revealed. "I remember her talking to me once when she was pregnant and I asked her what her baby's name would be. She said that if it's a girl, _Arya_, and if it's a boy, _Aegon_."

"But why is my name Jon right now?" He wondered. "Why did you change it?"

"Oh, I didn't change it," Benjen defended. "Your Uncle Ned did."

"Why?"

"Because he didn't want any association with your father's family." He explained. "And Aegon is a common name in the Targaryen family. And especially since, well… you know."

"So who's my Dad?" Jon finally asked.

Benjen took a deep breath before talking. "His name is Rhaegar Targaryen." He blurted out. "He's the firstborn son of Aerys Targaryen, the man responsible for the deaths of your grandfather Rickard, and your Uncle Brandon."

Jon knew part of that story. It was in History class and according to his teacher, Rickard was a shoo-in candidate for the presidency in the opposition. And it was one of the reasons, Aerys arranged to plant bombs on his grandfather's entourage, killing ten people in the process.

In Jon's case, seeing now that his Uncle Benjen confirmed his Dad is Rhaegar, his paternal grandfather had his maternal grandfather and uncle killed.

"How did they even meet?"

"Through their charity work," Benjen said. "But that wasn't the problem back then. The thing was, Rhaegar was already engaged when he met Lyanna."

Jon's eyes widened. "Wait, so—"

"Don't worry, it's not what you think," Benjen assured. "Lya merely stayed away. And a few months after Rhaegar broke off his engagement to some Dornishwoman, they started dating."

"What's he like?"

"He's nice." His uncle replied. "And surprisingly, very humble. He also likes being around children."

"Where is he now?" Jon asked. "Didn't he wanna see me? Is he even still alive?"

Benjen gave him a sad smile. "Well, after the news came out about Aerys masterminding my father's murder, the remaining Targaryen family fled to Essos, but I don't know where. And when your Mom died, your father did come for you. But your Uncle Ned refused to give you to him and had him banned from ever stepping foot on Westeros. As for him being still alive, I don't know."

With that being said, Jon didn't know if he was supposed to be happy, angry, or sad about it. As for his Dad, he'll find more information about him. Well, there were a lot of things, he still didn't know. But for now, he needed a distraction. Maybe volunteer for missions with Ygritte to keep him busy at the moment.


End file.
